Remembrance
by Insomniac Panda-Chan
Summary: There was only one plausible solution in Light's shattered mind. He knew exactly what he had to do. He had to die. *Will eventually contain Light x L, and Mello x Surprise.
1. Memory

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_, L, Light, or any other characters.

Warnings: Language, violence, and L's real name. Oh, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?). Can't forget THAT.

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

It was over. Finally, after many months of countless suspects, false leads, and all-nighters, they'd finally caught him. The most infamous man to ever walk the Earth. Kyosuke Higuchi. _Kira_.

And nevertheless...

L wasn't satisfied. No. Not yet. He had to know. He had to know how this man... this... supposed _God_... how he killed. He. Had. To. _Know_.

Light suddenly spoke to Mogi through his headset. "Mogi, I want you to put a headset on him as planned."

It appeared that Light wanted to know Higuchi's method of killing as much as L did.

"Roger." Mogi thrust a headset onto the murderer's head none-too-gently.

"Higuchi... How were you able to kill people? Tell me!" Higuchi turned his head in the opposite direction and refused to answer L. His stubbornness didn't even faze the detective, and L proceeded to pour a cup of tea while still conversing with Higuchi. "If you're not going to talk, I'll use whatever means necessary to get it out of you."

Higuchi sighed in defeat and lowered his face towards the ground. "The notebook."

"Notebook?" There was a frown in L's voice as he echoed Higuchi.

At this point, Higuchi felt it was useless to lie. So... "You probably won't believe me, but I've got a special notebook. If I write someone's name in it while thinking of their face, that person dies."

'A notebook...' L's mind whirred almost audibly at the possibilities. Snapping out of his reverie, his next words were almost a plea, desperate and needy. "Mr. Yagami?"

Chief Yagami slid into the front seat and reached cautiously into Higuchi's bag. Gently, he extracted a notebook with the words _Death Note_ printed on the front cover. "Yeah, I found it. It was in one of the compartments of Higuchi's bag." He paused to quickly flip through the notebook. "He has written a lot of names in it, but there doesn't seem to be anything else unusual about it."

Chief Yagami finished browsing through the notebook, and glanced up, looking through the windshield. His eyes were instantly drawn to a hovering figure, and he screamed in terror. Still screaming and staring at seemingly thin air, he threw himself from the car and backed away in a crab-like gait, the notebook having flown from his grip and hitting the asphalt only moments before the chief did.

"What is it Mr. Yagami?" L was slightly puzzled by Chief Yagami's strange behavior, but he didn't allow his incomprehension to filter into his voice. The chief was now reaching for his gun.

"It's a monster!" Chief Yagami scrabbled backwards a few more inches, still instinctively searching for his weapon. He paused in his fruitless hunt, however, at L's next words.

"Please, calm down. Don't panic. Remember, you're not currently armed to defend yourself." L's voice betrayed none of his inner turmoil, and his facade seemed to calm the chief slightly.

"Oh… Oh, right, of course." Chief Yagami still trembled, but his voice was steadier. Still, his newfound courage immediately deserted him somewhat when Mogi stooped down next to him in what was meant to be a comforting gesture.

"Chief, hang in there. Are you all right?" Mogi was concerned for the chief, and was alarmed when the older man turned frightened eyes on him.

"Mogi, can't you see that thing over there?" The chief pointed to the thin air, and Mogi's anxiety rose slightly.

He extended a hand to seize the notebook, and brought it to his chest, fully intending to return it to the chief. "Chief, I think you must be getting tired." Something suddenly caught the corner of his eye, and he turned to see it better. There was something there that wasn't there before, right where the chief was still pointing. He was unable to suppress the gasp that escaped his shocked lips at the sight, nor was he able to quell the startled screams that followed.

"Mogi, what's wrong?" Now Light, too, was puzzled by the odd behavior of his fellow Task Force members.

Chief Yagami, awoken from his stupor by the voice of his son, came to a sudden revelation. "It... That thing! It seems only people who have touched the notebook can see this- this monster!"

L cut in sharply. "Please bring the notebook over to the helicopter." L wanted to see. He needed to see what they saw. And he needed to see it _now_.

Mogi stood, notebook still held in his quaking hands. "O-Okay..." Walking subtly, as though he thought the monster would attack at any moment, he hurriedly brought the notebook to L.

"Here it is, Ryuzaki." Mogi handed the notebook over to the detective, who grasped it gingerly in thumbs and forefingers.

"Hmm..." He turned in semi-slow motion, as if hesitant to actually see this monster. His eyes fixated themselves on the grotesque figure, which went unnoticed by everyone but Chief Yagami, Mogi, and himself. The figure stared right back at him, and his breath caught as his eyes widened. "It really is a shinigami... They really do... exist." His sentence was broken, but he didn't care.

Suddenly, it all made sense. Memories came floating back, memories of half-formed theories and groundless accusations...

_'Light Yagami...'_

_'This is how Kira killed...'_

_'Love at first sight...'_

_'A notebook...'_

_'The second Kira...'_

...And suddenly, he _knew._ The memories continued to come to him unhindered, and L didn't even register that Light was speaking. "Ryuzaki, come on, let me see it!" Light's words didn't matter, because he _knew._

His thoughts... They assaulted him ruthlessly, so much so that he thought he'd go insane. They swirled into a vortex, a jumbled mess, and only one point stood out. He focused on that point, and everything came to a grinding halt as he had an abrupt revelation-

'Two books. There have to be two notebooks, possibly more! This isn't over yet.' L glanced down, finally noticing that his hands were poised in midair, grasping nothing. He twitched in surprise, before turning to look at Light so slowly L was sure he creaked audibly.

L was actually apprehensive as to what he would find, but it was too late now. He was staring directly at Light, and the teen was holding the notebook tightly. That tidbit of information didn't interest the detective nearly as much as Light's reaction to the notebook did. Light was literally frozen, body as rigid as if he was unexpectedly struck with rigor mortis, and his mouth was gaping open in a silent scream, eyes seeing something only he could see.

The silence didn't last long, however.

A deafening roar filled the helicopter, as Light's silent scream became not so silent. It's not like he could help it, though. The return of his lost memories was both painful and unexpected. He saw himself do things that he never thought he'd do, things that he couldn't have done, things that only _Kira_ would do.

_Kira..._

Dear God... What had he done! He was _Kira_; the infamous mass-murderer, the man wanted by several countries, the man who had killed hundreds…

And Light remembered. He remembered _everything._ All his memories had returned now, and he was horrified. How could he do those ghastly things? How could he ruthlessly kill hundreds? How could he possibly be _Kira_!

But he could. And he did. And he was.

Light saw the truth now. He had done many ghastly things. He had ruthlessly killed hundreds. He _was_ Kira.

And as Light finally ceased his screaming and began to gasp harshly instead, perfect clarity formed in his mind. He saw all those he had wronged: the hundreds he had killed, the families of those now deceased, his own family, the Task Force, Misa, Watari, Ryuzaki... And he knew. Light knew exactly what to be done in order to fix this, to make his reign of terror as Kira end for good.

There was only one plausible solution in Light's shattered mind.

He knew exactly what he had to do.

_He had to die._

* * *

A/N: This is my first published fic. Should I keep going? Oh, and I take requests. See my profile for details.


	2. Kira

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_, L, Light, or any other characters.

Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

**KIRA TALKING TO LIGHT.**

* * *

L stared hard at Light. The teen's breathing was hard, but L couldn't figure out _why_. Surely that monster hadn't surprised him _that_ much? Well, if this _was_ the case, there was only one way to find out…

"Uh, are you okay, Light?" No reaction from the teen, and L's eyes stayed riveted on his friend. "I suppose seeing that monster would surprise anyone." Another moment of silence, and then…

"Ryuzaki…" His voice was quiet and raspy, but Light had finally spoken.

L's eyes were still locked on Light. "What is it?"

"I want to check this out." Light flipped open the notebook and held it in one hand, while his other hand began to furiously type on his laptop. "I'm going to try comparing the names written in this notebook with the names of the victims." To the rest of the world, Light Yagami appeared to be doing just that. But to L, however, Light simply appeared to be trying to distract the detective from something.

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." L sounded distant, but he was sure his mind had never been sharper. His eyes had never left Light for a moment.

'I've won. He's distracted. Now to just….' Light fiddled inconspicuously with a button on his watch.

'I just have to pull this four times in less than a second.' He pulled the button four times. A compartment on the watch slid open, revealing its contents of a tiny needle and a torn piece of the Death Note. 'Got it. Just as I expected, I'm wearing this watch. Old habits die hard.'

Grasping the needle in his left hand, Light pricked his left middle finger, drawing blood. Using the needle and his own blood as a writing tool, the teen began to write.

_L_…

Writing was a painstakingly slow process, but he couldn't alert L, for the detective would surely try to stop him.

…_i_…

And Light couldn't let that happen.

…_g_…

This had to be done.

…_h_…

He had to die.

…_t_…

"Mr. Yagami, please take Higuchi to the car." L appeared to be gazing out through the windshield at the assorted people, but in reality, he was watching Light out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh, right. Of course." Chief Yagami's response distracted L momentarily, and the Task Force arrested Higuchi as the detective had ordered. It wasn't until a moment later, his full attention back on Light, that L noticed it.

Light was doing something strange. His eyes were on the notebook, yes, but they weren't moving. There were staring at one spot, not seeming to see anything at all. And his wrist… his left wrist was moving… it was so slight that L almost didn't catch it, but Light's wrist was definitely moving… rhythmically… almost like he was… _writing_.

And writing he was. Light had gotten almost all the way through his name by now. The scrap of paper now read _L-i-g-h-t Y-a-g-a-m _in bloody letters. He allowed himself to smile sadly at his victory. Just one more letter, and he would die. Light Yagami… _Kira_… would be no more.

Light watched the next few moments happen in slow motion. He brought the needle ever so slowly to the paper. The tip had briefly touched the paper for the dot of the 'i,' and when that was safely engraved in blood, he then lifted the needle away and moved his wrist slightly downward. Light had just pressed the needle back to the paper to begin the final stroke that would end his life, when a searing pain enveloped his head.

**NO!**

Needle and watch forgotten, Light let out a piercing scream and clutched his head. The pain was overwhelming; an intense throbbing that seemed to beat in time with his own heartbeat.

**I HAVEN'T COME THIS FAR, JUST TO LET YOU THROW IT ALL AWAY, _BOY_!**

Light was blinded by the pain, and deafened by the voice. He didn't even realize that he was still screaming, much to the confusion of L and the Task Force.

And confused L most certainly was. 'What is going on?'

Unfortunately, L didn't have time to properly contemplate the question, because Light chose that moment to abruptly start thrashing violently. His screaming rose in volume, and he began clawing at his head, almost as though he were trying to dig something out.

L took immediate action, seizing Light's flailing left arm, dislodging the laptop in the process and sending it crashing to the floor.

"Watari!" The elderly man was instantly at Light's right side, forcefully holding his unrestrained right arm in a solid grip.

"What do you suppose is wrong with him, Ryuzaki?" The older man appeared calm, but he was actually struggling to maintain his grip on Light's arm.

"That remains to be determined, Watari." L himself was having difficulty restraining Light, and the teen was not making it easy for him. His thrashing wouldn't diminish, and his screaming was near deafening.

The noise was going to drive him insane! There was absolutely nothing in this world that was horrible enough to justify the headache that Light's screaming was giving him. Patience wearing thin, L pulled back his free arm in preparation to slap some sense into the teen.

Abruptly, the screaming stopped. Light's struggling lessened, and he gasped for breath. The pain was still there, but the voice had blessedly ceased its deafening roar. Light could hear now; L was asking him questions, but Light only ignored the detective. The teen was intent on watching the darkness, as it crept into his field of vision. Everything was growing dim, and Light looked down. The Death Note was in his lap. The Death Note…

"Ryuzaki." Light's voice was hoarse, and it hurt to speak.

"…What is it, Light?" Light did not answer, and the detective leaned forward to see the teen's face. Light's lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. Thanking every God he knew, L proceeded to read Light's lips.

"Don't… don't move the… notebook. I… I must… maintain… contact… with it. Otherwise… he… he will win." And with those words, Light slumped forward in a dead faint. L and Watari braced themselves, supporting the dead weight of the unconscious Light.

The two men heaved the teen backwards, propping him up against the backrest of the chair. L quickly buckled Light in, and began to speak to the confused Task Force.

"Ryuzaki! What's going on! What's wrong with Light!" Soichiro, understandably, was in a state of utmost panic.

"Relax, Mr. Yagami. Light is fine. He had a slight panic attack, probably due to seeing the shinigami." While he spoke, L was making sure the teen was strapped in tight. He wanted no surprises while he was piloting the helicopter.

"O-Okay. I trust your judgment, Ryuzaki." Chief Yagami paused. "What would you like me- _us_ to do?"

"I will pilot this helicopter back to headquarters, followed by the rest of you. Upon our arrival, I will have Light safely transported to a hospital." L waited, thumb against his lip, for a response.

"…We understand. And thank you, Ryuzaki." The Task Force disconnected the transmission and went about their business, ensuring that Higuchi was taken care of before they departed.

"…You're welcome." L turned to his protégé. "Watari, I trust you understand everything that's happening; thus, you know what you need to do. Begin immediate preparations the minute we return to headquarters."

Watari's response was drowned out be the sound of the helicopter's blades, whirring to life.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! If anyone knows of any ways that I can improve this, feel free to let me know!


	3. L

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_, L, Light, or any other characters.

Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

**KIRA TALKING TO LIGHT.**

* * *

**LIGHT**.

'Hmm?'

_**LIGHT**_.

'Who's there?'

**YOU KNOW WHO I AM.**

'…Kira.'

**YES. I AM KIRA, JUST AS **_**YOU**_ **ARE KIRA. WE ARE ONE IN THE SAME**.

'No! I'm not Kira! Not anymore!'

**OH, BUT YOU ARE. I DIDN'T KILL ALL THOSE UNWORTHY FOOLS BY MYSELF, YOU KNOW**.

'I didn't mean to! I thought I was being Justice, but you warped my ideals! You turned me into a murderer!'

**NO, LIGHT. YOU DIDN'T NEED MY HELP TO KILL. YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD THE POTENTIAL; ALL I DID WAS GIVE YOU A LITTLE… **_**PUSH**_.

'No!'

**YES**.

* * *

"NO!" Light Yagami, strapped down to a bed in the Task Force headquarters, thrashed his head from side to side as he fought his mental battle.

"No?" Chief Yagami tore his gaze away from his unconscious son, looking over at L in concern. "What's wrong with him? Is he dreaming?"

L, perched on a chair in his trademark crouch, stopped chewing on his thumb momentarily to answer the chief. "…I cannot say, but I may have a theory. Would you care to hear it?"

Chief Yagami nodded his assent, and watched as L stood from his chair on the left side of the bed. Taking his cue, the chief stood from his chair on the opposite side of the bed and followed the slouching detective out through the door. Soichiro paused in the doorway to look back at Light, still struggling against an invisible enemy. Deciding it would be okay to leave his son alone for just a little while, the chief continued to follow L.

The two men didn't have far to go, as their destination was the investigation room. When L and Soichiro made their entry, they were immediately bombarded with questions about Light's condition from Matsuda, while Aizawa and Mogi remained silent.

"Mr. Matsuda, please cease your babbling. I am going to explain as much as I can about this situation to all of you, so please be patient." L ambled to his chair while he spoke, and settled into his crouch when the room became silent. "Thank you. Now, before I begin, are there any questions that do not pertain to Light?"

Aizawa's hand sluggishly rose into the air, almost as though he were afraid of incurring the detective's wrath. "Ryuzaki, we just received word about Higuchi's trial. He has been convicted of murder, and will be executed in a few hours."

L took this news in interestedly, chewing on his thumb eagerly. "I see. Thank you Mr. Aizawa. Anyone else?" Seeing that no response was forthcoming, L continued. "Very well. I shall begin, then, so please do not interrupt."

"First off, I would like to announce that the Kira Case is officially closed. With Higuchi in custody and Light restrained, I believe you will find that Kira will not be killing anymore. This leads me to my second announcement, which is that I have reached one-hundred percent certainty that Light Yagami is the Original Kira, while Misa Amane is the Second Kira." Here, L paused to take in Soichiro's infuriated look, while the other three men simply gaped.

"I suppose an explanation is in order, yes? I thought as much, so I have the evidence with me." L uncurled one of his spindly arms from around his knees and sought out something in his pocket. Using thumb and forefinger, he withdrew an expensive-looking watch and a tiny needle. The needle was tipped in red, while the watch's secret compartment was gaping open. "Chief Yagami," L held the watch aloft, so that all present could see it. "Do you verify that this watch belongs to your son?"

Soichiro eyed the watch for a moment, and then sighed in defeat. "Yes. That watch belongs to Light. He hardly ever took it off."

"Very good. I confiscated this watch upon Light's arrival to headquarters. It contains something very interesting within it, something that is undeniable proof of Light's guilt." L turned the watch, so that the contents of the compartment were fully visible.

"A piece of paper? How does that prove Light's guilt?" L looked slightly miffed at Matsuda's interruption, but did not comment. He simply extended his arm so that Chief Yagami could take the watch from him.

The chief took the watch and inspected the piece of paper. After a moment, a look of shock and horror crept into his dark eyes. "This paper… it has Light's name written on it." He noticed the incomplete 'i,' and his eyes rose to meet L's. "It's not his whole name, though. Ryuzaki, what does this mean?"

The detective opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a beeping from his computer. L immediately swiveled around in his chair, attention now on Watari's voice. "Ryuzaki, I have some news on Higuchi's sentence. I will assume that you have been informed of his pending execution, so I will only add that his execution time was moved up, as many countries wanted a man as dangerous as him to be "eliminated" as quickly as possible. As of seven minutes ago, Kyosuke Higuchi is officially dead."

"...Thank you, Watari. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Sir. Before his execution, Higuchi was interrogated. The recording of this interrogation shall be sent to you shortly."

"Thank you, Watari. I appreciate the update." L ended the conversation at that, and swiveled back around to face the Task Force. "I believe I owe you men an explanation, yes? To start off, I told the three of you that it was imperative that the notebook remain in contact with Light, but I believe Higuchi's recent death has changed that. Am I correct?"

The last sentence was spoken at an elevated volume. Soichiro and Mogi jumping in surprise when an unfamiliar, feminine voice answered. "Indeed, you are correct."

Matsuda and Aizawa, slightly bewildered by this reaction, became even more perplexed when L quickly vacated his chair and left the room, returning moments later with the Death Note clutched in his left hand. He offered said notebook to the confused men, saying only,. "You must touch the notebook." Both men reluctantly touched the Death Note, and then watched as L ambled back to his chair.

When he was properly perched, the detective turned to a corner of the vast room and began speaking to seemingly thin air. "Please, join us. I know that you would be able to help me explain better."

After a moment, a ghastly figure floated out of the shadowed corner. Soichiro and Mogi instantly recognized it as the monster from earlier, while Matsuda and Aizawa simply gaped. L was mildly surprised that the men did not shriek in fright.

"What is your name?" L was speaking to the shinigami, who settled her haunted eyes on L.

"…Rem." Rem spoke in a monotone that suggested she was deeply bored with the events taking place, but her posture was slightly defensive.

"Ah. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rem." L brought his thumb to his lip, nibbling slightly. "Before I start asking questions, you should know that I have already read the rules in this notebook, on both front and back covers. Having said that, correct me if I am wrong, but when Higuchi died, the ownership of this notebook was passed on to whoever was in contact with it at the time."

"Yes." Rem's eyes darted between L and the notebook, pinched between the detective's left thumb and index finger. "Light Yagami is the current owner of that Death Note."

"I thought as much." He turned to converse with the silent Task Force. "I believe that Light and Misa were both in possession of a Death Note when they went into confinement. However, they both relinquished control of the notebooks while in confinement, and consequently lost their memories of ever owning the Death Note." His eyes slid to Rem. "Am I correct?"

Rem stared at the detective warily. "…Yes."

Still gazing at Rem, L questioned her further. "When someone who has lost their memories of the notebook, then touches the notebook again, they regain their memories, do they not?"

"…Yes."

"Very good." L brought his dark gaze back to the task force. "I deduced that Light had regained his memories as Kira when he touched the notebook in the helicopter. His reaction was much too violent to be related to the sight of Rem. My inference was proved true when Light spoke to me before he passed out. He said, 'Don't move the notebook. I must maintain contact with it. Otherwise, he will win.' 'He' refers to Kira. I was then able to surmise that Light only had possession of his memories when he was in contact with the Death Note." He glanced at Rem again. "Correct?"

Rem nodded in silent assent.

"Good. As I said earlier, I read the rules in the notebook, prior to my arrival at headquarters. I kept the Death Note in contact with Light while I studied it, and that is when I noticed the watch."

Soichiro glanced down at the watch he still held, having been all but forgotten.

"That watch contains a small scrap of paper, taken from this notebook." The detective flipped the notebook open to a page with a torn corner. "I think you will find that the edges match up with this page."

Chief Yagami stood and brought the watch to L, holding the accessory next to the notebook for comparison. They matched perfectly. The chief looked confusedly at the detective, lowering his hand that still held the watch. "I don't understand. If this is a piece of the Death Note, then who was trying to kill Light by writing his name on it?"

L looked up at the chief, a look of sympathy in his usually expressionless eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Yagami, but Light wrote his own name on the Death Note. If I were to run that scrap of paper through forensic analysis, we would find that his name is not written in red ink, but Light Yagami's own blood. This is further proven by the puncture mark on his left middle finger and the needle that I found clutched in his left hand." He held the needle aloft for all to see.

Soichiro returned to the other Task Force members, sinking heavily into his chair. He was in a mild state of shock it seemed.

"But why would Light try to kill himself, Ryuzaki?" Matsuda, it seemed, was very dense.

"The answer is quite simple, Mr. Matsuda." L locked eyes with Soichiro. The chief knew exactly what L was going to say, so he took a liberty and said it for him.

"Guilt."

"Yes, Mr. Yagami. I believe that the first violent reaction was the return of his memories, and accompanying those memories was a feeling of guilt for what he had done. He tried to kill himself, probably to ensure that Kira was also killed, and that brought on the second violent reaction. The second violent reaction was Kira's way of telling Light that he was not going to be defeated quite yet."

"Not going to be defeated?" Soichiro sounded slightly puzzled. "Are you saying that Light and Kira are separate beings, and that Light is fighting Kira for control?"

"Yes. I believe that Light is in a temporary coma at the moment, due to his mental battle with Kira. That is why he is restrained, and why I could not send him to a hospital. It is possible that Kira will win this battle, and he must not be allowed in a public place."

"Then that means… Light isn't Kira!" The relieved exclamation came from Matsuda. The chief visibly relaxed, having been tense since Light's guilt was determined.

"Yes and no." Soichiro was understandably distressed by L's words, and his relaxation quickly warped back into anxiety. "It would appear that Light is no longer _both_ Light Yagami _and_ Kira; he can only be _just_ Light Yagami, or _just_ Kira."

Before the Task Force could comment, L continued. "The best I can explain it is a sort of split personality. Originally, Light Yagami _was_ the one committing the murders, but it only took a few scribbled names in the Death Note for Kira to be born. Light himself was appalled at what he was doing, but he could not stop; not because he didn't _wan_t to stop, but because Kira would not _let_ him stop And when Kira felt as though he was being backed into a corner, he used the only option available to him: He took a nap." He paused to absorb the dazed looks that adorned every face but Rem's.

"After Kira was banished from Light's mind, however short a time it may have been, the real Light Yagami returned. Light Yagami had memories neither of the Death Note, nor of Kira. In short, without the influence of the Death Note, Light Yagami was completely innocent." His onyx gaze flickered briefly over to the hallway that led to Light's room, before he once again set his sights on the four individuals sitting dumbfounded in front of him.

"However, Light did not stay innocent. Earlier today, his hands once more rested upon the notebook. He instantly regained his memories as Kira, but not the persona of Kira. When he let himself fall asleep, Kira inadvertently separated himself from Light Yagami. From that point on, Light Yagami and Kira, originally one entity, were now split into separate entities entirely. They are forced to share Light's body, each one capable of being in control at separate times. However, it appears that Kira wants complete control, and so he is fighting Light to have power over his body."

"But if that's true, then what will happen to my son when he wakes up?" Soichiro was trembling in concern, and L deeply wished he could console the man.

"That depends, Mr. Yagami." L looked directly in the chief's eyes, trying to convey some sort of sympathy. "If he wakes up as Light Yagami, in complete control of his body, he will be acquitted of all charges and cleared as a Kira suspect. However, if he awakens as Kira, then the consequences are quite obvious, and much more severe."

Every person in the room knew what was left unsaid in that last sentence.

_If he awakens as Kira, he will be put to death._

* * *

A/N: Next time, Light vs. Kira. Muwahaha!


	4. Mirror

***This chapter is dedicated to Nani Hatake, who helped me complete it.***

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_, L, Light, or any other characters.

Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

**KIRA TALKING TO LIGHT.**

**__****"Someone talking to unconscious Light. Guess who!"**

* * *

Light was standing alone, the only person within a thousand miles. Darkness surrounded him; it was all encompassing, the black abyss. He could see nothing else, tried to speak but found that his voice did not work.

**Light... **

Light whipped around, after hearing the voice issue from behind. Nobody was there, but something that wasn't there before towered over him.

A mirror.

His entire being was reflected in it, staring right back at him with hollow eyes. Light stepped up to the glassy surface, reaching a hand to touch the cool exterior. His reflection did the same.

**Light...**

He could see the speaker this time. His own reflection was talking, speaking in a voice that was not his own. As he watched, his reflected self began warping, his hair dyed crimson and his eyes stained burgundy. And Light knew then, knew that he was seeing Kira.

**YES. I AM KIRA, AND YOU ARE KIRA AS WELL. WE ARE ONE IN THE SAME, LIGHT.**

Light lifted his hands to his ears, trying to block out the deafening voice. Kira laughed, a low rumble that sent a chill down his spine. He frantically began looking for a route of escape, someway to be free of the darkness and Kira alike.

**YOU CANNOT ESCAPE, LIGHT.**

Light watched in paralyzed horror as Kira lifted a hand, dripping scarlet blood, and curved his fingers into a fist. Light suddenly felt a pressure at his neck, wrapping around him and cutting into his windpipe.

**ONLY ONE OF US CAN BE IN CONTROL, AND I WILL NOT LET THAT ONE BE YOU.**

Kira squeezed ever so gently, and Light began to wheeze. His hands came up and clawed at his neck, trying to remove the obstruction.

**IT'S NO USE. YOU'RE AT MY MERCY. AND SINCE I HAVE YOUR FULL ATTENTION, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I PLAN TO DO ONCE YOU ARE DEAD.**

Kira's arm rose, bringing Light with it. Breathing quickly became a chore for the captive teen.

**I WILL TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR BODY, AND I WILL USE YOUR BODY TO DO WHAT YOU COULD NOT. I WILL CLEANSE THIS EARTH OF ALL THOSE WHO ARE UNWORTHY, STARTING WITH THE TASK FORCE THAT BEARS MY NAME.**

Tears began to gather in Light's eyes, falling down his face in shimmering rivulets. He had long since given up his attempts to remove Kira's invisible grip, and his arms now hung loosely at his sides.

**I WILL THEN ERADICATE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, INCLUDING MISA AMANE. I WILL NOT NEED HER ONCE I AM FREE.**

Kira's grip tightened marginally, and Light could not breath at all. Kira's sneer was in his blurry vision, and he slid his eyes shut to rid himself of the horrendous sight.

**I WILL SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST, OF COURSE. **

Light's world was growing dark. His heartbeat was slowing, and he couldn't save himself. All he could do was listen to this despicable being rant about his twisted plans. As the world disappeared around him, the last thing Light heard was the conclusion of Kira's evil plot.

**THE LAST PERSON I WILL SLAUGHTER IS L. AND THEN I WIN.**

_**"No!"**_

Light's eyes snapped open, fury blinding him as he struggled viciously. He could not let Kira win; he could not let Kira kill the Task Force; he could not let Kira kill his family; and he _especially_ could not let Kira kill L.

L was his best friend.

With a strangled roar, Light wrenched free of Kira's grip. He knelt on the dark ground, sucking in deep gulps of air. His throat burned fiercely, and he had to struggle to bring in enough oxygen to fill his lungs.

_**"Don't give up!"**_

Once he caught his breath, Light stood and glared at Kira. Kira glared right back at him.

_**"Fight him, Light!"**_

And who was he to argue? Light strode until he was toe-to-toe with Kira, and pulled his fist back. He paused before the strike, just enough time to find his lost voice.

'Burn in Hell, Kira!'

And then it was over. Light propelled his fist forward, planting it in Kira's face and shattering the mirror. Kira screamed in rage, but it was too late. The mirror fragments fell to the ground, each one reflecting Kira's last moments. The biggest shard landed at Light's feet, and he stared down at the face reflected in it. It was his own, untainted by Kira's presence. He stared at his reflection, and then watched curiously as the image warped. L was now reflected on the glassy surface, and the man was smiling at Light. The teen smiled back at the detective, before sliding his eyes shut as his world faded to total darkness. The last thing he heard was L's voice.

**_"Well done."_**

* * *

He was awake.

Light had no idea how he had lost consciousness, so he didn't open his eyes quite yet. He wanted to assess his situation first.

The teen quickly surmised that he was in a bed, with his arms held in place by some sort of restraints. He didn't bother to struggle, just in case it alerted anyone in the near vicinity. Speaking of people… Light could hear hushed voices, though he couldn't pinpoint who they were or where they were coming from. They were growing faint, heading away from his direction, he could tell that much.

"It's the Task Force."

Light nearly yelled in surprise as a voice spoke near his ear. His eyes snapped open in terror and he shirked away, turning to see his captor.

L.

L was sitting on a chair in his usual perched position, thumb at his lip. His onyx eyes blinked owlishly at the teen's reaction, and he tightened his other arm around his raised knees.

"Is he gone?"

The question caught Light off-guard, and he was suddenly too confused to be scared. He allowed his body to relax, still giving the detective a look that clearly stated 'Have you lost your mind?'.

L merely stared back at him, his thumb pressing harder against his lip. "I am quite serious. Is he gone?"

After a moment, it dawned on the teen. L was asking if Kira was gone. Light tilted his head and met L's eyes. The detective was staring at him, a hint of anxiousness in his dark orbs. That look alone was all he needed to confirm his theory on what L was asking of him.

"For now. He's dormant, but I do not know for how long."

L didn't reply; only withdraw a small silver key from his back pocket. He leaned forward slightly, still managing to keep his balance, and freed Light's right wrist. The detective watched as Light stretched his abused muscles, before motioning for the key. L handed it over willingly, observing with his unblinking eyes as the teen unlocked the cuff from his own left wrist, then returning the key to the detective's outstretched hand.

Light sat up, and he rubbed his wrists, trying to regain the feeling in his previously numb limbs. While he worked at reviving his lost circulation, the russet-haired teen fixed the detective with a wary stare. "So what now?"

L returned the key to his pocket and brought his thumb back to his lip, now speaking around it. "Now, Light? Now, you will tell me everything. However, I want one thing before you begin."

Light stared at L, one perfect eyebrow raised.

The detective bit down hard, drawing blood. "…I want to hear you say it."

Light sighed and acquiesced, his eyes meeting those of L's.

"I can't say that, Ryuzaki. I'm not Kira."

L lowered his hand from his mouth, wrapping both arms tightly around his knees. His eyes met those of his counterpart, and his lips turned up just so at the corners.

"On the contrary, Light. That was _exactly_ what I wanted to hear." Before Light could respond, L had turned slightly and extracted his cell phone from his pocket. He flipped it open, holding it in his delicate way, and pressed the first speed-dial number. "Hello? Yes, please send them down. He has woken up." And then it was over. L returned the phone to his pocket, turning once more to regard Light.

"The Task Force will be here shortly, and then you may begin your story."

L hadn't even finished the whole sentence before the door burst open, admitting the four men. Soichiro immediately strode to the bed and embraced his son, having noticed that the cuffs were missing.

"Light. I'm so glad that you're okay." He was crying, and the tears dripped onto Light's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Dad. And I'm sorry." Soichiro pulled back at the last sentence, regarding Light silently.

Before Soichiro could respond, L interrupted. "You may apologize later, Light. Right now, we need you to tell us everything you know. Start at the beginning."

Light nodded his understanding, then began his story. He told them about his first encounter with the Death Note, how he thought it was an elaborate joke. He explained how he tested the notebook, and how he confirmed that it was real. He told them about meeting Ryuk, and the shinigami's apple addiction. Next, he detailed all the events from his first meeting with L to his first confinement, including the deaths of Lind L. Taylor, Raye Penber, and Naomi Misora, as well as his first encounter with Misa. He spoke about his manipulation of the blonde model, and the warning Rem gave him.

When Light's personality change during his confinement became the topic of conversation, the teen then explained his entire masterful plan to reacquire the original Death Note (by means of Misa). L immediately made a mental note to have Watari drive to the correct coordinates, courtesy of Light, as soon as possible.

"…And you know the rest."

Silence reigned once more as all who were present absorbed this information. Soichiro was the first to break this silence.

"Light... Ryuzaki found the piece of the Death Note in your watch. Did you really try to... kill yourself?"

Light did not speak right away, bangs shadowing his eyes. After a moment had passed, he nodded slowly, before curling up on his bed in a manner similar to L. "When I touched the notebook… Kira, he flooded my mind. I was horrified at what he'd done, what _I_had done. I'd killed so many… I couldn't stand the thought of living after I'd remembered all those I had killed. I had regained control of the notebook, true enough, but I no longer had the desire to be Kira. So, I felt that the only way to rid the world of his wretchedness was to rid the world of Light Yagami as well."

It was L who responded this time. "…I see. You were overcome with both guilt and the fear that Kira would once again emerge, so you felt that your only option was suicide."

Light nodded, his eyes growing moist. "I'm sorry. I am truly pathetic. What kind of person am I to kill so many, only to turn around and try to kill myself as an escape?" Light bowed his head in silent defeat, the tears creating rivulets down his tanned face. "I would rightly deserve any punishment you would bestow upon me, Ryuzaki."

L was silent for a moment. "…You would like me to be the one to pass judgment on you, Light?"

The teen nodded, the tears still falling.

"Very well." L sat just a tad bit straighter in his chair. "The appropriate punishment for Kira would be death-"

"WHAT!" Chief Yagami was red-faced, bug-eyed, and panting, looking for all the world as though he would launch into a second heart attack at any moment. "Do you honestly think that I will stand idly by as you execute my son right in front of me!"

L brought his thumb to his lip. "Please calm down, Mr. Yagami. It cannot be good for your heart if you are so high-strung. And I expect no such thing from you, by the way, as you did not let me finish."

None present stared at L with more bewilderment than Light did (not even Matsuda).

"As I was saying, the appropriate punishment for Kira would be death, but I have no reason to kill Light Yagami."

Light was speechless. That was just as well, since L was not finished yet.

"Kira will die, true enough, but Light Yagami will live." L fell silent again, once more staring at Light with onyx orbs.

"How is that possible, Ryuzaki?" Light whispered. "How can only one of us be killed, while the other remains?" When no answer was forthcoming, Light glanced questioningly up at the detective through his russet bangs, tears subsiding.

"…I am not sure, Light. However, I will think of something eventually."

Light was silent, waiting for the detective to continue.

"But for the time being... I cannot let you out of my sight. As the saying goes, 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.' Since you are both my best friend and my worst enemy, I have decided that you will accompany me when I leave Japan. We will board a plane tomorrow morning, eight a.m. sharp. This plane is bound for a location that I am not obliged to disclose to you. Once at this location, you will remain in my surveillance until such time that I am able to rid you of Kira."

Light nodded in understanding, and the room fell silent.

* * *

A/N: The update is a day early! Now, this is where it gets tricky. I had the first four chapters typed up before I even uploaded the first chapter. The next chapter will take a little time, but I'll update as quickly as possible. Sorry for any delays. 'Till next chapter!


	5. Notebook

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_, L, Light, or any other characters.

Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

Light groaned in misery as he awoke. His head was throbbing painfully, clouding his senses and slowing his reflexes. After several minutes of trying to regain his bearings, the teen was struck with a sudden feeling of deja vu as he realized that, for the second time in as many days, he had awoken to discover his wrists were bound. He attempted to move his hands and found that they were locked only to each other, and not to anything else. However, they were trapped behind his back, and were useless just the same. The teen then peeked one honey-colored eye open, but was instantly met with more darkness. Ah. It appeared his captor had placed a blindfold over his eyes, too. How thoughtful. Light marveled for a moment at his lack of panic, before an all-too-familiar voice broke into his silent reverie.

"I apologize for the extremity of these precautions, but I could not allow you any knowledge of where we are going. Likewise, I could not allow you to have free movement at this point, as Kira could emerge and take control of the plane."

A smile tugged at the corners of Light's lips. "That's okay, Ryuzaki. I understand."

"Very good." The detective, seated directly across from Light in his trademark crouch, bit down on a thumb in thought. "Do you recall the events of yesterday, particularly the ones that led up to your current predicament?"

Light was silent for a moment. "I remember... confessing. And you telling me that we would be leaving Japan. The rest is just a fuzzy blur."

L nodded, which went unseen by the blindfolded teen. "Indeed. Once I had explained our departure, Watari, who had come into the room during your confession, injected you with a powerful sleeping agent. You were rendered unconscious almost immediately. Soichiro was not very pleased with this."

The teen's smile widened. "I imagine not. I assume you lied about our departure time, as we were actually scheduled to leave immediately following my confession, not at 8 a.m. My father protested, probably on the grounds that I should be allowed to see my family one last time. You countered with your reasoning, which was that I housed Kira within me, and therefore I am a danger to my family. He reluctantly agreed, and as some small sacrament, you allowed the Task Force to see the plane off. Stop me when I'm wrong, Ryuzaki."

"...Impressive, Light. Very impressive. But you are wrong about one thing: The departure time. While it is true that I was not honest about the time, it was not scheduled to be immediately after you confessed. In reality, it was set for two hours later than that. I shall explain why, shortly."

The younger man nodded in understanding, knowing that L had his reasons for being secretive.

"Alright. Since that is out of the way, I'm sure you have many questions. You may ask me, but depending upon what you ask, I may or may not answer." L waved a hand, another gesture that went unseen by the incapacitated man.

Light nodded, an awkward thing to do given his current headgear, and proceeded to ask the thing that had been bothering him the most. "Ryuzaki... What happened to Misa? She was a Kira as well, but she can't be convicted or killed, as she is being protected by Rem."

"A very good point, Light. Misa Amane was cleared of all charges and allowed to go free. I have even managed to take care of her pesky memories."

The teen looked taken aback. "Her memories? How did you rid her of them? She had no ownership of a notebook, so it's not as though she could give them up."

L's smile was slightly mischievous. "Simple. I gave her a notebook to own."

At this statement, made so carelessly, Light's mouth dropped open. L was sure the teen's eyes had widened behind the blindfold as well. "W-What?"

"You heard correct. You see, while you were battling Kira in the recesses of your mind, I had a little... chat with Rem. It would seem that she had taken a fancy toward Miss Amane, and would allow no harm to come to her. She also told me of the second notebook. After some deliberation. I decided to make a bargain with Rem, the parameters of which are as follows: If I could guarantee the safety and freedom of Misa Amane, Rem would permanently leave our world with her notebook. As a special favor to me, she also promised not to kill you.

"But, there was a problem; you see, she told me of the second notebook, but she could not recall it's exact location. As luck would have it, you helpfully provided me this information when you confessed. Once you were safely unconscious once more, I had Watari and Rem escort Miss Amane to the coordinates. This was the reason that we did not depart immediately."

Light nodded in understanding.

"Once there, Watari placed a pistol against Miss Amane's head and instructed her to dig. The notebook was quickly extracted from it's hiding place, and Miss Amane was the first to touch it. She immediately regained her memories, as well as her ownership, only to find that her shinigami had turned against her. Rem explained that Misa needed to permanently relinquish her memories. When Miss Amane protested, Rem assured her that it was what Kira would want. Miss Amane then agreed, giving ownership to Watari. In return, Misa Amane has been freed."

Light winced when the detective said it was what Kira would want, but nodded once more. "I see. Misa has lost her memories, but... what of her feelings for me? Does she still believe us to be a couple?"

L sounded bemused. "Did you want her to continue to believe this?"

"No!" The teen cleared his throat, trying to cover how eager he had sounded. "I mean, no, I do not. I never had feelings for her, and would rather she found someone who is worthy of her affections, as that someone is not me."

"Indeed. Yes, she has been informed that her precious Light has had to leave the country, and will not be returning. Thus, he can longer be her boyfriend. She took it better than I thought she would; as though she had known all along that it would never work out between you two. The woman is much more observant than I originally gave her credit for. She's still annoying, of course, but perhaps not a total idiot."

The teen smiled at this, before frowning at his next question. "And Higuchi? What of him?"

The detective looked thoughtful at this question. "Higuchi confessed to being Kira and was promptly executed. I have a recorded copy of said confession, and reviewed it whilst you slept. He never gave up his ownership, so upon his death, control of the notebook went to you."

Light cocked his head to one side. "I thought as much. I have ownership of Rem's notebook, and Watari has ownership of Ryuk's notebook."

"Actually, Light, you are incorrect. You still possess Rem's notebook, that's true enough, but Watari gave up ownership of his notebook already. The new owner is Ryuk, himself."

The teen looked fairly interested in this. "So, you've met Ryuk. Interesting. What are you planning, Ryuzaki?"

"You'll see." Light felt something land in his lap, and he knew immediately that it was a Death Note. He was about to ask which one it was, when he was interrupted by a gruff, otherworldly voice that he had not heard since his confinement.

"Long time, no see, kid."

Light's face was suddenly quite unreadable to the detective, who monitored his every expression. "Ryuk. This is your notebook, I suppose." The teen bowed his head forward, indicating the Death Note on his lap. "And now that you've dropped it in the human world, I am the owner of two notebooks. What is the logic behind this?"

It was L who responded. "All in good time, Light. Ryuk, would you please remove that notebook from Light?"

The shinigami made a noise of assent, and Light felt the Death Note leave his lap. The teen let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Very good. Now, Ryuk and Rem, I would like the two of you to exchange notebooks." L watched intently as Ryuk and Rem – Light had not known she was here until L addressed her – did as instructed. "Excellent. I would now like both of you to place your notebooks, side by side, on Light's lap. This is only a precaution." Yet again, the duo followed L's orders, and Light soon felt the weight of two Death Notes being placed onto either of his legs. "Alright. Rem, take back your notebook from Light."

The female shinigami silently plucked her notebook from Light's lap, then turned to await L's next command. She didn't have long to wait.

L bit down on a thumb as he made the next order. "Light, give up your ownership of Rem's notebook."

Comprehension now dawned, and Light understood. "Clever. You gave me ownership of both notebooks for a reason. That way, Rem and Ryuk could exchange them and I would still be the owner. In doing this, once I relinquish control of Rem's notebook, I will only be the owner of Ryuk's Death Note, the one that he originally gave to me."

"You continue to astound me, Light. Yes, that is correct. I wanted Rem to have her original notebook when she left, simply because it's hers. Now, she has absolutely no reason to return to our world."

"I see. I shall do as you ask, Ryuzaki." Light tilted his head in the direction he thought Rem would be. "Rem, I give up ownership of your notebook."

Rem regarded him silently, sensing something different about the bound boy before her. "Very well. As Ryuzaki has said, I no longer have business in this world. This will be the last time you will see or hear me, Light Yagami. However, I shall be keeping an eye on you." This was accompanied by the sound of wings, which signaled Rem's departure from this world.

Light was silent for a moment, before finally acknowledging Ryuk once more. "What did Ryuzaki do to get you to agree to all of this?"

The shinigami in question cackled, a scratchy sound that hurt the ears of both humans present. "Apples, kiddo. He promised me a whole orchard if I followed his directions. I couldn't say no to _that_."

"Of course." Light's mouth lifted into a wry smile. "I really should have known." The teen then tilted his head in the direction of the still-silent detective. "Would you mind removing this notebook from my person? I really do not wish to maintain contact with it."

"Of course, Light." L leaned forward, almost toppling out of his precarious position crouched on the edge of the airplane's chair, and snatched the Death Note off of Light's lap.

Light cocked his head to one side, curiously. "Now that I'm the owner of that notebook, what do you plan to do with it?"

L shrugged, an action that went unseen by the teen. "That, I do not know yet. For now, you will maintain ownership, but I will be holding on to it for you."

Light nodded in agreement. "Thank you. And now, you've answered all of my questions but one."

"Is that so? What is your final question, Light?"

The younger man looked thoughtful. "Once we reach our destination, what do you plan to do with me? Will you execute me out of the public eye, or will you do something else, such as imprison me for the remainder of my life?"

L's smile was barely-there. "Neither, Light. There is no need for an execution, for Kira – Kyosuke Higuchi - is already dead to the public. It would be a waste to kill you, too. And the same is applied to imprisonment – nothing but a waste."

Light's expression morphed into bewilderment. "Then... what _do_ you plan to do with me?"

The detective was silent for a while, long enough that the teen feared he would not get an answer. But, then... "Once we reach the place that we are going, you will begin to repent for all the lives that Kira has taken."

The younger man looked visibly tremulous. "R-Repent? Are you going to... torture me?"

A sound that Light had never heard before issued from the detective's mouth, low and melodic. L was chuckling. The sound caused an unusual, but not unpleasant, fluttering sensation to erupt in the pit of the teen's stomach, and he mentally chastised himself for his own absurdity. "No, Light. I have a better use for you. With your considerable intelligence, you will help me conduct my research and aid me in the solving of my future cases."

Silence reigned for several minutes as the teen absorbed this, before Light spoke again. "R-Ryuzaki... What are you saying?"

Said detective's resulting smile was large enough to reach his eyes. "Light, I'm saying that I would like you to be my partner – the partner of L."

* * *

A/N: Another chapter down! And I'm SOOOOO sorry for all the explanations in this one. I needed to tie up some loose ends, and now that I have, the good stuff can start! Next chapter, they reach their destination! And maybe we'll add a few more characters...


	6. Alias

***This chapter is dedicated to my Lawli-Chan, who rid me of my writer's block. You know who you are.***

****Note: I apologize for the late update. I'm sure many of you are familiar with writer's block. It's Hell.****

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_, L, Light, or any other characters.

Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

Light was utterly speechless. Never, not even in his wildest dreams, did he expect to be offered such a thing from the greatest detective in the world. It was more than he could handle, and his mind promptly short-circuited. His mouth was open, but no sound escaped. He simply sat there, gaping at L...

...and looking like an absolute fool.

After several minutes of this rather poor imitation of a fish, Light became aware of searching eyes focused on his person. Though he was unable to see him, Light was sure the dark-haired detective was awaiting an answer, and due to this, the younger man urged his paralyzed brain to respond. But, despite his best efforts, it just wasn't working. His motor functions would not cooperate.

Oh, dear.

'Come on, brain!' Light encouraged himself. 'Think of something witty!'

Still nothing.

He was beginning to panic. 'Think of SOMETHING!'

Dead silence.

Light was sure this must be the longest silence in HISTORY, and in order to end it, he forced himself to respond. And what came out was not what either of them expected.

"...What?"

Smooth.

Whilst Light mentally facepalmed at his complete lack of eloquence, L was blinking in surprise. The older man looked flabbergasted at Light's response. It was not what he had been anticipating at all. "Did you misunderstand what I was asking, Light?"

By now, the teenager had both recovered from his fail and regained control of his voice. It trembled as he spoke, and if L didn't know any better, he'd say the brunet was on the verge of tears. "N-No, it's just... you truly want me to be your partner?"

The older man nodded, then realized Light couldn't see it. "Yes. Though I am unaccustomed to working alongside others, I feel that you would be an invaluable asset. I wish for the two of us to solve cases together."

Light bit his bottom lip to stifle a sob. His body trembled with the effort it took to contain his tears, but after a few moments, he had regained his composure enough to speak. "I-I don't know what to say."

L nodded once more, then released the thumb he had been nibbling on. "I understand. Take your time."

They lapsed into another silence as Light came to fully comprehend the weight of the offer he had just received. If he became L's partner, he could work on high-profile cases, cases that no one but L would be allowed to see; his intelligence would finally be put to good use, both in solving cases and by simply spending time with L. The man was a wonderful conversationalist, after all; and the clincher for Light was, as L had said, he could atone for the sins of Kira by saving lives. It was everything he could ever want, and so much more.

Having made his decision, he allowed a true smile to spread across his face. "I would be honored to become your partner, L."

The detective in question let out a breathy sigh, relieved. "Good. Very good. And as my partner, you will need to take up an alias. Do you have an idea of what you would like to be called?"

The younger man considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Tsuki. I will be called Tsuki."

L smirked. "Tsuki, Japanese for moon. You are hiding in plain sight. Very clever. If that is what you wish to be called, then you will be dubbed 'T.' This is what the public will know you as, just as I am known as L. Do you agree?"

"Yes, Ryuzaki. I agree."

The detective's face hardened, smirk long gone. "Are you sure, Light? I lead a very lonely life. No friends, no romances, no family other than Watari. Throughout your life, you've been observed to be very sociable. I would not wish to deprive you of human interaction. I will not force my lifestyle on you."

L was quite startled when the bound boy began to laugh, not bitterly as expected, but full of delight. "Are you kidding? I'm no social butterfly. In fact, I tend to shirk away from almost all human interaction. I don't think I've ever had a real friend, until you came along. Living as you do will absolutely not be a problem for me, Ryuzaki."

The detective tilted his head, examining the younger man's reaction. Light was being sincere, he was sure of it. So all this time... Light had been fooling the world. He had spent the majority of his life wearing a mask of perfection, letting those around him see what they wanted to see, whilst the man himself was all alone...

...just like L, himself.

"Light..."

The laughter died quite abruptly, and the teen in question fell silent. L's voice just now... it was tinged with pity. Light didn't want that, and especially not from L. "Ryuzaki... that's a story for another day. Right now, all you need to know is that I am comfortable, and I'm happier than I've been in years. I want this, and nothing you say will change my mind."

"...Very well." Light heard movement, and a click. The detective was rearranging himself into a normal sitting position and buckling himself in. This obviously meant that the plain was landing soon. As if to confirm this theory, Watari's voice crackled over the plane's intercom.

"Ryuzaki, we are beginning landing procedures. We may experience slight turbulence, and if all goes well, we should be touching down in approximately five minutes." The intercom made a pop as it disconnected.

Light shifted in discomfort. "Is Watari piloting this plane, Ryuzaki?"

"No, Light. He is the copilot."

"Ah. I see. Then who is the pilot?"

L's lip twitched in amusement. "I am."

"But... if that is true, then shouldn't you be... oh, I don't know... PILOTING!"

"This plane is on auto-pilot, Light. And even if it were not, Watari is perfectly capable of landing this plane in my absence. I have full confidence in his abilities."

"Oh. Well, if you say s-" Light's sentence was cut short by the sting of a needle. Someone was injecting something into him, and he had a sneaking suspicion that it was Watari, which meant more sleeping agent. Honestly. What did these people think he was going to do? Break the handcuffs and kill them all with his bare hands? Not likely. But alas, the drug was taking effect, making logical thought near-impossible. The last thing he was aware of was the first tremors of the aforementioned turbulence, before his world slipped into nothingness.

* * *

Light was dimly aware that someone was calling his name. The voice sounded familiar, and it's tone was rather urgent, but the auburn-haired teen could not seem to bring himself to care. He was currently trapped in that world between wakefulness and sleep; not quite awake, yet not quite asleep. It was so incredibly peaceful... but that voice was so incredibly _annoying. _

"Light... wake up." L had been trying to rouse the younger man for close to twenty minutes now, and his lack of success had started to irk him.

"Hnn... No... Go away..." Light's sleepy murmur sounded so nonchalant. This did NOT amuse the frustrated detective.

"Light, if you continue to remain obstinate, then I will be forced to resort to extreme measures in order to ensure that I have your attention."

The teenager made a sound akin to "Mmmph," which L took to mean "Go right ahead." And go ahead he did. In a lightning fast movement, the dark-haired detective brought a foot up and planted it in Light's side, likely bruising a rib or two with the force of the blow.

And quite suddenly, Light's pleasant dream became a nightmare. Pain exploded in his left side, and his shriek of anguish was deafening. His body slammed into the side of the vehicle they were traveling in, creating more bruises on his right side. Luckily, he was able to jerk back to the left mere moments before his head met the window.

"Good. I see you are alert now." L's voice sounded almost smug, and Light, who was definitely awake, rounded on him with a barbed tongue.

"Dammit, Ryuzaki! Did you have to kick me! I could have been seriously injured!"

"Ah, but the fact that you are able to chastise me shows that you are not seriously injured, and therefore you are well enough for me to not be concerned about permanent damage." L still sounded too self-satisfied for Light's liking, but the teen shrugged it off.

"...Whatever." After a mental once-over to assure that he genuinely had no "permanent damage," as L so articulately put it, Light realized that he was no longer blindfolded. He glanced curiously at L, and the detective held up said blindfold.

"I removed it shortly before you awoke. The handcuffs, too, are gone. But as a minor precaution, I have temporarily reinstated our previous set of cuffs. They will be removed once we reach our destination." L held up his right hand, displaying the thick cuff adorning his pale wrist. He shook it for emphasis, and Light's gaze traveled along a chain several feet in length, before halting on his own cuffed left wrist.

"I see. I had wondered what happened to them. I noticed they were missing when I awoke in the Task Force headquarters. You removed them in the helicopter, did you not?" At L's nod, Light continued. "I had hoped to never have to wear them again."

"I know, Light. But as I said, it's only temporary."

"Alright." The duo lapse into a comfortable silence, and the younger man took the opportunity to evaluate his current surroundings. They were quite obviously in a motor vehicle of some sort, perhaps a Rolls-Royce. The windows were shaded, preventing the gaze of pedestrians and passengers alike from penetrating the glass. A divider was located between the driver and the rear seats, though Light was sure it was Watari that sat behind the wheel. He had no way of knowing anything of the world outside the car, as he knew L would not divulge such information. But, it didn't hurt to ask...

"Might I inquire as to our current whereabouts?"

"No."

Swing and a miss.

The teen sighed in slight exasperation. "I understand. How long was I out this time, by the way?"

"Again, I cannot tell you."

"I see." This was starting to seriously irritate the younger man. "What CAN you tell me, then?"

"Hmm..." L brought a finger to his lip, and Light noticed for the first time that the detective was sitting in a normal position, both feet on the floor. It looked odd on the man, which wasn't a stretch to consider, as L was usually the epitome of oddness. Light's attention quickly shifted, though, as the older man resumed talking. "I suppose I could inform you of the type of people you will meet there."

"I would greatly appreciate that, Ryuzaki."

"Indeed. You will have to continue to address me as Ryuzaki while we are there, as the residents of this place are ignorant to my identity as L."

Light blinked. "Residents? How many people live in this place?"

"I would say... around 30 to 40 children, and about 15 adults."

The teen looked quite skeptical at this. "It sounds like we're going to a school."

"You are not far off, Light." L suddenly switched hands, dropping his left from his mouth and bringing his right thumb up to nibble on, causing the chain between them to jingle in the process. "It is an orphanage, the sole purpose of which is to train gifted children in preparation to be my successor."

"Your successor? Why would you need one of those?"

"As L, my life-expectancy is significantly lower than that of an average human. Many people want me dead, Light. Kira is not the first, nor will he be the last. If one of these people were to succeed and end my life, I must guarantee that my work is continued. Thus, a successor is needed to ensure that the name of L lives on long after I am gone."

Light visibly flinched at the mention of L being gone, but quickly covered it by asking another question. "That makes sense, I suppose. Do the children have aliases as well?"

"Yes, and you will need to use your own alias while you are there. It is not imperative that you conceal your real name from the children, but it will be good practice."

"I understand. I'll do that. What are the children like? You said they were gifted, yes? Do you mean they're all geniuses?"

"Yes. Every child there possesses intelligence far beyond their years. And every child has their own eccentricities, as well. Be vigilant while you're there, Light. These children, deceptive though their appearances may be, are most certainly not ordinary."

The auburn-haired teenager chuckled, amused. "I'll be careful."

"Good."

The car slowed to a stop then, and a loud clang was heard from outside. The vehicle lurched forward for a few more moments, before stopping entirely, the engine falling silent. Another loud clang was heard, and the passenger window on Light's side of the car suddenly began to descend, presumably thanks to Watari. The teenager leaned toward the now-open window, taking in the view of a large, well-kept building. He was vaguely aware of L doing the same beside him, moving closer to Light's window in order to see the building properly. The detective's lips lifted into a tiny smile at what he saw.

"Light Yagami, welcome to Wammy's House."

* * *

A/N: FINALLY! And sorry about the lack of new characters in this chapter. Rest assured, they WILL be in the next one! And please, if you can think of any ways to help me improve this story, let me know!


	7. Successor

***Special thanks to Nani Hatake, RaiToNight29, BunnyRabbitOfDOOM, Power4Puppies, Dark Miko, Solesse, strawberry flavoured, Pri-Chan 1410, icywarm, Akai Nara, and Sashocirrione for your wonderful reviews. You all make me enjoy writing. ^_^***

Disclaimer: You should know the drill by now. I do not own _Death Note_, L, Light, or any other characters. Believe it!

Warnings: Language (I blame Mello), violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

"Wammy's House?" Light inquired. "That's the name of the orphanage?"

"Yes. It was named for it's founder, and that is all I shall tell you. Now, please hold out your hand."

The younger man couldn't help his eye-roll, but obediently did as L instructed, holding out his left wrist to allow the detective to remove the cuff. The chain clinked mockingly as L unlocked first Light's cuff, then his own. The devilish handcuffs fell to the seat and remained there.

"You may vacate the car, now." Light resisted the urge to roll his eyes for a second time as he grasped the handle and pushed the door open, exiting the car with L right behind him. The door closed, and Light turned to face L, a question forming.

"Oh, by the way, I had meant to ask you about Ryuk. I haven't seen him since I woke up. Did he leave while we were still on the plane?"

"Yes. He left at the same time Rem did, presumably to see her off. As for his extended absence, I suspect he is enjoying himself at the orchard, as I told him it's location before you awoke on the plane."

"Oh. As long as he isn't causing trouble, then." Light returned his gaze to the tall structure nearby. The building seemed to be several stories high, and probably contained a few more floors below ground. The building itself looked to be made of some sort of grayish stone, sturdy and built to last. A quick glance around the grounds showed several more of these gray-stoned buildings, though this one appeared to be the main edifice. He also spotted a clock tower in the distance, past an expansive lawn. All of this appeared to belong to Wammy's, and was surrounded by what Light assumed to be a wrought-iron fence. The loud clangs he had heard earlier were the the result of the opening and closing of the front gate.

"Are you planning on coming inside, or did you just want to admire the scenery for the duration of our visit?" L was staring at him curiously from his position halfway up the front steps that led to the main building, awaiting an answer. Light almost blushed in embarrassment, but forced the feeling down.

"About that..." Light moved to ascend the steps as well, stopping beside L.

"Hmm?"

"How long are we staying here? You didn't mention it in the car."

The duo continued up the stairs as L answered. "Not terribly long at all, actually. We will only be here long enough for me to pick up a few important items, after which we will relocate to my residence."

"I see." The pair had reached the front door by now, and rather than knocking, L simply turned the handle and pushed the door open. The older man disappeared inside, and Light made to follow him when a loud thud followed by a groan of pain was heard just inside the door. The younger man blinked and peered inside, examining the scene in front of him.

L was sprawled out on the ground, a small blonde girl sitting next to him and looking quite apologetic. The girl was dressed all in black, a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans clinging to her figure, while her feet were clad in boots. A rosary hung loosely around her neck, the beaded chain ending in a crucifix. It wasn't until she spoke that Light realized the "she" was actually a "he."

"I'm so sorry, Ryuzaki. I didn't mean to..." The small boy was speaking in English, and Light thanked his lucky stars that he became fluent in the language at a young age. He had a feeling that L also knew he could understand and speak the language, or the detective would surely have warned him ahead of time.

L, from his position on the floor, waved it off as though this were a common occurrence. "That's quite all right, Mello." L, too, was speaking in English, and Light suspected everyone else in this House did as well.

The blond dubbed "Mello" perked up at L's lighthearted tone, and bright blue eyes lit up in joy. "You... You aren't angry?"

"Of course not."

L was promptly tackled in a second hug, as Light assumed a first hug was the cause of L's current position. The detective smiled fondly down at the blond boy on his chest, and when L moved to hesitantly return the hug, Light felt his heart constrict.

'What was _that_...?'

Whatever this feeling was, Light was unfamiliar with it. It was as though... he disliked the idea of L hugging Mello. But that was silly, so he shrugged it off. He was brought back to reality when Mello spoke again.

"We were afraid you wouldn't make it, Ryuzaki. I've been planning the party for months, and Matt's been helping me. Near has been no help at all, of course." His face scrunched up in distaste at the mention of "Near."

"You didn't have to do that, Mello. And speaking of Matt and Near... might I inquire as to their current location?"

The small blond jerked a thumb behind him, and all eyes turned to a large staircase at the far end of the room, upon which stood a redhead and an albino. Light studied the duo carefully, taking in their strange appearances. The albino was the shorter of the two, barely reaching his comrade's shoulder. He was completely bedecked in white, a complete opposite of Mello. A second glance served to reveal that the white clothing was a set of pajamas, accompanied by a simple pair of white socks. The boy's right hand was raised, his index finger tangled in a lock of snowy hair, while his left hand dangled loosely at his side, some sort of toy robot held tight in his fisted fingers. The look on his face was one of utter boredom, and Light noticed that his black eyes – not unlike L's own onyx orbs – were dull. It would appear that he was not as phased as Mello was by L's arrival.

Light's gaze then traveled to the albino's companion, the redhead. His outfit was the most unusual of all. The boy wore a long-sleeved t-shirt, striped in black and red. An unusual white vest was worn over the shirt, fur in several places. Like Mello, he wore dark jeans and boots, but it was the orange goggles that really caught drew one's attention. Placed over his eyes as they were, Light was unable to see their coloring, but he knew immediately where those eyes were focused. The boy was holding a hand-held game between his hands, furiously mashing the buttons, and paying no attention to anyone or anything around him.

Light suddenly felt a tug on his hand and glanced down, eyes widening. He was unaware of when it had happened, but he had finally been noticed by Mello, who had released L to investigate the newcomer. It was he who had tugged Light's arm in an attempt to gain his attention. The boy was staring up at him, a cold look in his icy eyes, and the brunet knew that the little blond already disliked him.

"Who the Hell are you, Barbie boy?" Mello's words were laced with venom, mocking in their nature. Light bristled at the insult, but his sharp retort died in his throat as the boy sneered up at him.

L, who had also stood sometime during Light's perusal of Matt and Near, was frowning at the child now attached to Light's arm. "Mello, I do not appreciate you treating my guest in such a way. Please refrain from doing so."

Mello allowed his hand on Light's arm to drop. The brunet watched curiously as said hand disappeared into a jeans pocket, reemerging a moment later with a foil-wrapped chocolate bar. The boy unwrapped a corner, closed his teeth around the chocolate, and snapped a piece off. After a few moments of thoughtful chewing, his gaze rose to meet Light's honeyed orbs, and his sneer widened. "Never mind. I don't care who you are, 'cause I don't like you."

"Mello! What did I just say?"

The blond rounded on L, dropping his chocolate in the process. "I'm not gonna treat him nice, just 'cause you told me to! I don't like him!" He pointed an accusatory finger in Light's direction to punctuate this statement.

L's frown deepened. "That is unfortunate, Mello, as you will be spending quite a bit of time with him."

The finger pointing at Light lowered. "I don't want to! Anyone could tell that all he cares about is his looks! I bet he's dumber than a box of rocks, and I don't wanna be associated with someone like that!" He stomped a foot, looking remarkably reminiscent of Misa during a temper tantrum. The thought was amusing enough to Light that he let the numerous insults slide as a smirk spread across his handsome face, which luckily went unseen by Mello.

"Mello... please, calm down. I have something important to tell the three of you. Could we please move to a place less... public?" L was sure the commotion caused by Mello would alert other students, and he did not want his presence known by any but the three boys already in attendance. The detective gave Mello a pleading look, trying to get his point across. The boy's anger melted away at that look coupled with the tone of L's voice, and he nodded.

"Of course. This way." The blond wandered toward a hallway leading off to the side. He was followed by L and Light, and they in turn were followed by Matt and Near, neither of which seemed very interested in the situation.

Mello led them a little way down the hallway, and into a room. Once all five males were safely inside, the blond shut and locked the door behind them. Due to the large quantities of chocolate wrappers littering virtually every available surface, accompanied by the overwhelming aroma of cocoa, Light quickly surmised where they must be. This room was most obviously Mello's bedroom.

The blond in question waded through the wrappers to take a perched place on the edge of his bed, giving L his undivided attention. Matt took a place beside him, still immersed in his game. Near remained standing by the foot of the bed, dark eyes focused on Light with the barest hint of curiosity in their depths. The two eldest males stood side by side, facing the bed. L fidgeted nervously for a moment, before clearing his throat and drawing everyone's gaze with the exception of Matt. "Boys... I want to tell you that... I am L."

All movement in the room, from Near's finger entwined with a lock of his hair to Matt's hands on the portable game, came to a screeching halt. Mello had even stopped breathing, the shock was so great. Their reactions were better than L had imagined, so he continued. "And I would like the three of you to come and live with me, so that I may train you personally."

If the bombshell that was Ryuzaki's true identity hadn't been shocking, this new information certainly was. Light could almost hear the gears turning in Mello's head, trying to comprehend that this was _L_ who stood before them, and this was _L_ who was offering to train them. He had never been so happy in his entire life, and had just opened his mouth to accept the offer, when a new - previously unheard - voice beat him to it.

"I decline."

All heads turned to regard the owner of the voice: Matt. The redhead had resumed his game and was valiantly ignoring Mello's scathing look.

"Matt... You do not wish to complete your training?" L's voice was laced with concern, but he had a knowing look upon his face, as though he knew this would happen.

"No, L. I've never cared about being your successor, as I'm sure you are already well aware. I'd much rather stay here and lead a normal life, if it's all the same to you."

"Of course, Matt. I completely understand." The detective's dark gaze shifted to Near. "And what of your decision, Near?

The diminutive child did not speak, but responded with a simple nod. And when L's eyes next shifted to Mello, the blond gave an enthusiastic "Yes!".

"I see. Then the two of you should start packing, as we leave in one hour. And Matt, I would like a word with you." The three children began to move, each going their own way: Near shuffled to the door, and exited after unlocking it; Mello dashed around his room, piling belongings on his already-messy bed; and Matt followed L and Light as the duo retreated to a corner of Mello's room for a private discussion.

Sensing this was important, Matt clicked his game off and pocketed the device, finishing by raising his goggles away from his eyes to nestle in his crimson hair. His eyes were a deep green as he stared attentively at L for the first time since the detective had arrived. "What is it?"

"You've known I was L for quite a while, Matt. I estimate months, possibly even years. How did you find out?" L's tone was simply curious, holding no hint of anger.

Matt shrugged. It was true, after all, so why bother lying? "I hacked the mainframe of Wammy's a few years back, just for fun. I honestly never expected to stumble across your identity, and I haven't told anyone what I found. Not even Mello."

"I see. I appreciate your honesty and discretion, Matt, and I hope you will continue to keep my secret safe."

"Of course, L. You can trust me."

"I believe so. It is unfortunate that you declined my earlier offer, but I thought you might. Know that I will inform Roger of this decision, and that, with his permission, you may visit Mello at my residence as often as you like."

"Thank you, L." The redhead pondered something for a moment. "Mello lied, by the way. I didn't help all that much with the party, and Near helped a great deal more than I did. Though I think I should give you my gift now, since I won't be seeing you on the real day."

Gift? Party? Light hadn't a clue what was going on, so he glanced at L for confirmation. The detective looked embarrassed at the fuss that was being made over him, but still managed to answer Light's unspoken question in a level voice. "October 31st is my birthday."

October 31st... That was two days from now. Light made a mental note to have a chat with Watari in the near-future, then focused on Matt, who had just withdrawn a small box from a pocket in his vest. He held the box out to L, who took it daintily between thumbs and index fingers. He held the box close to his face, examining it from all angles as though he could guess what it was just from looking.

"Don't open it until your birthday, okay?" L nodded, then slipped the box into his own pocket. "If there's nothing else, I'm gonna head back to my room."

"Of course, Matt."

The redhead smiled, then turned to leave. On his way out, he halted the frantic Mello and gave him a brotherly hug, along with a few whispered words. Mello returned the hug and whispered a few words of his own. The touching moment passed, and Matt slipped out the door while Mello had resumed his furious packing.

After witnessing this, Light turned to L, a bewildered look on his face. The detective mirrored the look, then shrugged it off and slouched to the door. The duo left the room together and headed back to he entrance way to await the two boys. They didn't have long to wait, as a few scant minutes later, Mello came skidding into the room. Near trailed after him, his entrance much less dramatic.

"Let's go!" The excited blond was bouncing on his toes, a truly amazing feat as his large bag, slung over his left shoulder, looked as though it should have been weighing him down. Near's face showed that he was bored with the situation, and the small albino silently brushed past the older men on his way to the car, his own little bag clutched in a pale hand.

Mello, thoroughly unimpressed with Near's lack of emotion, scrambled after him whilst shouting obscenities in what sounded like German. L sighed, knowing he was going to regret his decision to train them in person, and followed after the quarreling boys. Light brought up the rear.

Once the boys had stowed their bags in the trunk, the duo turned quartet piled into the back of the car, which Light noticed was, indeed, a Rolls-Royce. Near, however, opted to ride up front, as the back seat would be too crowded if he sat there. Once all were seated, buckled-in, and the window had been rolled back up, the car's engine came to life. The clang that signaled the opening of the front gate was heard, and the car jerked into motion.

As they cleared the gate and the second clang rang out, the divider between the front and back seats slid down, revealing the driver – Watari – and Near. The little boy was manipulating a toy robot, making it fly through the air, and Watari chuckled at his antics before speaking to L. "To your residence, Ryuzaki?"

"Yes, please. And you may keep the divider down for now." Watari acknowledged this, and the car fell silent for a time.

10 seconds, to be precise.

The brief quiet was broken by Mello, who rounded on Light (the boy insisted he sit between L and Light, for reasons unknown). "Alright. Out with it. Who the Hell are you, and what makes you so damn special that L would bring you with him!"

"Mello..." L's voice was exasperated, and the boy turned to regard him. "This is alias Tsuki. To the public, he will be known as 'T.'"

Mello turned enraged eyes on the brunet in question, giving him a look that screamed skepticism. "This guy has a LETTER! Who IS this guy!"

L could feel a headache coming on, and it's name was Mello. "He has a letter, Mello, because he will be working with me."

The blond whipped around to face L once more, disbelief written in his expression. Light suspected that Mello possessed a rare case of male PMS, which would explain his drastic and frequent changes in mood. The little boy gaped openly for a moment, before stuttering. "W-Working with y-you? You m-mean... l-like a... a..."

L interrupted. "Correct. Near..." He glanced at Near. The albino was oddly motionless in the front seat, and L focused his onyx gaze on Mello next. "Mello..." Likewise, the blond was also unmoving, his attention riveted on L, hanging onto his every word. "I'd like you to meet Light Yagami, my new partner." L nodded in Light's direction...

...and Mello promptly slumped forward in a dead faint.

* * *

A/N: Hyuk! I so love finding ways to piss Mello off! I hope this quick (and LONG) update makes up for the last one. Next time, L's birthday! If anyone has suggestions as to what Light should get him, feel free to let me know! And in case anyone questions it, the chain that L left in the back seat is now in the trunk. Watari moved it there while L and Light were in the House, and he did it for absolutely no reason. XD


	8. Birthday

***Special thanks to Power4Puppies, Dark Miko, Pri-Chan 1410, and icywarm for reviewing the last chapter.***

****Special Note: My friend, Nani Hatake, has just started her first story. It's called "Bad Romance" and the pairing is Beyond Birthday x Misa. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone reading this note would take a look at her story, and review if possible. Thank you for listening.****

Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it?

Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

L blinked down at the unconscious child for a moment, before tentatively reaching out a hand to shake him awake. This proved to be an effective method of awakening him, and once Mello was successfully revived, the car descended into silence. The little boy took to simply glaring at Light for the duration of the ride, and the other occupants of the vehicle thought it best to just let him be.

Eventually, the car came to a stop. Light (who was still on the receiving end of a scalding look from Mello) watched curiously as L pulled his cell phone from somewhere within his bottomless jeans pocket. The detective flipped it open, rapidly pressed a complicated series of numbers, then flipped it closed. As he returned it to his pocket, the sound of a gate opening could be heard issuing from outside of the car.

The car jerked into motion once more and the gate closed behind them. After several more moments of driving, the vehicle stopped again, this time for good. Mello immediately vaulted over L (who didn't look the least bit affected by the blond's actions) and hastily pushed the door open, disappearing outside. The rest of the vehicle's occupants soon followed suit, and Light found himself staring up at a remarkably plain-looking house. Other than it's size, which was rather large and probably held at least 10 bedrooms, there was nothing unusual about it. He wondered briefly if L actually lived here, then mentally scolded himself as he realized that L had probably wanted a plain house. The detective so hated to draw attention to himself, after all.

He realized he'd been again daydreaming when he heard the sound of the trunk closing, and observed L, Mello, and Near ascending the stairs to the house. Instead of following, he hung back for a moment to talk to Watari. The older man looked startled that Light would want to talk to him, but after the teen quickly whispered his request, Watari smiled knowingly and agreed to do as Light asked. Light murmured his thanks, then rushed after the strange trio and met them at the door.

The group of three were crowded around the door. A glance at where the three sets of eyes were gazing confirmed why. L, ever paranoid, was currently dismantling his security system via a numbered keypad. Light became entranced as he watched the nimble pianist's fingers work diligently at the code. He had never realized how beautiful the detective's hands were before. The pale, elegant digits were gliding over the numbers so sensually...

"Light? Are you coming?" L's voice interrupted Light's musing, and the teen distantly noted that the man had switched back to Japanese. The auburn-haired teen supposed this was because the front door was ajar, and the two younger boys were nowhere to be seen. He and L were alone. This thought caused another light flush to spread across Light's face, and he became aware of L giving him a searching look. Not wanting to be questioned, he forced the blush down and smiled his best fake smile.

"Of course! Let's go." L was still giving him that look, so Light brushed quickly past the older man and slipped through the open front door.

Once inside, Light paused in the foyer to take in his new living environment. Just as with the outside of the house, there was nothing too strange. This room was large, but not overly so. On either side of him, there was a single door, and a staircase stood directly ahead of him, not unlike the staircase of Wammy's House. Other than that, the room was quite plain, and Light almost found himself disappointed. But, he reasoned with himself, this was L's house, and L hardly seemed like the type of man to fuss about with worldly possessions.

A hand gently set itself upon Light's forearm, and he could not help the unexpected shiver that passed through his body. L's hand was far warmer than he would have imagined, and it seemed to him that the appendage was burning through his shirtsleeve. He glanced down at that pale hand and followed the arm it was attached to, eventually raising his eyes to the equally pale face, and for the first time, Light took the time to scrutinize the detective's facial features.

As was previously stated, L's skin was startlingly pale, almost sickly in it's near-translucence, and the face itself was rather pointed. Above the sharp chin was a full mouth, soft and curved. At the moment, the detective's lips were carved into a frown, which Light overlooked as his gaze traveled upward. The nose above that mouth was delicate and tapered, the line of it leading up to almost-invisible eyebrows hidden beneath hair the color of pitch. Light itched to run his fingers through that hair, to see it was as silken as it looked... until his eyes were drawn to L's own onyx orbs, underlined by dark circles that spoke volumes of the man's insomnia, and the teen immediately became immersed in the gaze the detective was bestowing upon him. Having never seen L's eyes from such a close proximity, Light had never noticed that those dark irises had flecks of the deepest blue interspersed within the black. If time allowed it, he could get lost forever in those eyes...

...if it weren't for the stinging sensation in his left cheek where L had just slapped him.

"Dammit, L! What was that for!" Light blinked away his daydream, giving the detective hard glower as he raised a hand to press against his throbbing face.

The detective in question simply brought his own pale hand to his mouth, worrying at the nail of his thumb as he spoke around the appendage. "I had called your name several times, Light, but you did not respond to my voice. I had then decided that a physical stimulus was needed."

"...Oh. Well, thank you, I suppose. I will try refrain from allowing myself to fall so deep into thought in the future."

L tilted his head in a fashion that seemed rather cute to Light, as though he wished to inquire what the younger man was thinking so hard about, but settled on simply nodding his understanding instead. "Come, Light. I will show you to your room."

Light follow the detective as the man ascended the staircase to the second floor, leading him down a hall and pausing in front of an unremarkable wooden door. Glancing around the hall, Light observed that all the doors looked exactly the same, with the exception of one: the door directly across the hall from the one they were loitering in front of was constructed of steel, not wood. Light supposed (hoped) that the steel door was L's own room, and a fuzzy feeling overcame him at the knowledge that L would always be near.

Said detective dug a hand into his endless jeans pocket once more (Seriously! How deep _were _they!) and withdrew a key, which was handed to Light. The older man then turned on his heel and silently wandered off, his habitual slouch prevalent, in what Light supposed was a search for a sweet treat. Once alone, the auburn-haired teen fit the key to the lock and pushed the door open, entering his new room.

As he entered and closed the door behind him, all thoughts of the house being overly boring vanished from Light's mind. This room was nothing like what he'd previously viewed of the house: it was a sitting room, completely bedecked in reds and browns. A low table was the centerpiece of the room, surrounded by several plush armchairs and a comfortable-looking couch. The walls and soft carpet were also done in the same colors of the furniture, and even the artwork upon the walls went well with the red and brown decorum. A single door, which Light supposed was the bedroom, was to his left. Curious, he moved to the door to investigate.

The bedroom was very like the sitting room, but the reds and browns were several shades darker, giving the room a more intimate feel. The bed was exquisite, Light noted, as he sat on the edge of it to observe his surroundings. A desk took up one corner, and several bookshelves lined the walls. An elegantly carved dresser and a bedside table rounded out the furniture, and two other doors completed the room. Upon closer inspection, the doors proved to be a walk-in closet and a private bathroom.

The teen returned to his bed, which was far larger than his old bed in Japan, and flopped down with a sigh. This was the first time that he had been able to just relax and think since he had been exposed as Kira. Kira... The presence was still there, at the back of his mind. He could feel him there, biding his time before he could once again come forth and seek his revenge on-

KNOCK, KNOCK!

Light tilted his head toward his bedroom door and called a soft "Come in" to his visitor. The door opened to reveal Watari. The elderly man carried a large box and bag, which drew Light's attention.

"Is that what I asked for, Watari?"

"Yes, Light. I was able to procure it quite quickly, and to your exact specifications, I might add." The man moved forward to the bed, and set the box beside Light. The teen pulled out his wallet and after a brief protest from Watari, he handed over a few bills in payment for the box. Watari then took his leave, with Light giving him a heart-felt "Thank you" as he exited the room. The elderly man paused in the doorway to smile back at Light, replying "It was nothing" before closing the door behind him.

A thorough examination proved Watari to be correct; the box was exactly what Light had asked for. He then rummaged through the bag, withdrawing wrapping paper, a tag, a bow, scotch tape, a pair of scissors, and a pen from inside it. Opening and spreading out the roll of wrapping paper first, Light began the familiar motions of wrapping a gift. Once wrapped, he taped the bow to the top, and finished by sticking the tag beside the bow, and signing said tag in his tidy scrawl.

Satisfied, Light gingerly carried the gift into his closet and hid it in a corner, then returned to clean up his supplies which he stowed in the drawers of his desk. He felt ridiculously happy at having been able to get L a present for his birthday, and even happier knowing that it was something L was sure to love. He flopped back onto the bed, letting the pleasant feelings fill him, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

The next day was painfully uninteresting to Light. He had barely seen L at all that day, and when asked about the cases he would be working on, the detective brushed him off with a short explanation of "I will wait to discuss that with you once the 31st has passed and the inevitable debris has been taken care of." It was this statement that had Light wondering about what Mello had planned for L's birthday, but the auburn-haired teen shrugged it off and spent the rest of the day in his room, reading.

* * *

The morning of October 31st was, for lack of a more appropriate word, LOUD. Mello, who appeared to no longer be phased by the revelation that Ryuzaki was actually L, could be seen (and heard) streaking through the house in a flurry of movement. It would seem that none of the events of the past two days diminished his plans for a birthday party, and he had taken over the living room downstairs as the "Party Room." When he wasn't dashing to and fro, he could be heard barking orders to unsuspecting passers-by from inside the room, of which poor Near received the brunt of such treatment. Light steered clear of that particular room for such reasons.

The day passed slowly, and as the sun began to set, the party was scheduled to begin. The only attendants were Mello, Near, Light, and L (of course). Watari made an appearance from time to time, but never stayed long despite many efforts to get him to join in the festivities. In fact, it seemed that even the birthday boy was loathe to participate in his own party, which seemed not to bother Mello and Near in the least. Mello would frequently yank L up and out of his seat, pulling him to the middle of the room to dance to the loud and obscene music that issued forth from the stereo that hand been moved into the room for this occasion. During such times, Mello would dance and L would simply stand there and stare, looking supremely awkward. Eventually, Near would rescue the gangly man and drag him back to his chair, where the two would engage in a brief conversation.

Such antics amused Light, who was content to simply remain silent and sip his glass of (possibly spiked) punch whilst observing the party-goers. It continued this way until Mello announced that the main event of the party was about to start, and sent a wicked look in Light's direction. The older teen knew then that he was in trouble as the little blond beckoned him to come join him up on the short platform that had been erected at the back of the room. Light did so, casting a wary eye at the strange machine that stood in the center of said platform.

"Do you know what this is, Barbie?" Mello's expression said that he already knew that Light had no clue, and was seeking a way to humiliate him.

"...No."

"It's a Karaoke Machine. Have you ever sung before?" That expression was turning more devious with every word the blond spoke.

Light shook his head negatively, opting to exclude the times he had sung in the shower, and Mello looked absolutely delighted.

"Well, you're going to sing right now."

Light felt a sinking feeling, and couldn't help the stutter. "W-Why don't you go first? You can 'show me how it's done,' so to speak."

Mello looked thoughtful. "That's a good idea. We'll ALL go before you, and REALLY show you how it's done!" He then shooed Light off the platform as he chose his song.

As Light resumed his seat, the melody for Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" began to play, and Light could barely hold back his laughter as the little blond attempted a poor imitation of a woman's voice. Near WAS laughing, a quiet titter, and L's body shook with the effort it took to remain silent. Once Mello had ended the song, Near was called on-stage and spent several minutes perusing the song list. He eventually chose Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic." Instead of the timid voice everyone was used to, Near sang quite loud and completely off-key. Needless to say, everyone was traumatized.

When it came time for L to sing, Mello rushed the stage and chose his song for him, before hurrying back to his seat to listen. Heedless of what song the blond had chosen for him (he didn't care if it was embarrassing or not, he just wanted to get it over with), L began to sing the lyrics that appeared on the screen.

"_This time; __I wonder what it feels like;  
To find the one in this life.  
The one we all dream of;  
But dreams just aren't enough;  
So I'll be waiting for the real thing.  
I'll know it by the feeling.  
The moment when we're meeting;  
Will play out like a scene; __Straight off the silver screen.  
__So I'll be holdin my breath;  
Right up to the end;  
Until that moment when;  
I find the one that I spend forever with..._

_'Cause nobody wants to be the last one there._  
_'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares._  
_Someone to love with my life in their hands._  
_There's gotta be somebody for me like that._  
_'Cause nobody wants to go it on their own;_  
_And everyone wants to know they're not alone._  
_Somebody else that feels the same somewhere._  
_There's gotta be somebody for me out there..._

_Tonight; __Out on the street out in the moonlight;  
And damn it this feels too right.  
It's just like Déjà Vu;  
Me standin' here with you.  
So I'll be holdin' my breath;  
Could this be the end?  
Is it that moment when;  
I find the one that I spend forever with?_

_'Cause nobody wants to be the last one there_  
_'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares._  
_Someone to love with my life in their hands._  
_There's gotta be somebody for me like that._  
_'Cause nobody wants to go it on their own;_  
_And everyone wants to know they're not alone._  
_Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?_  
_There's gotta be somebody for me out there..._

_Ooooooh,_  
_You can't give up!_  
_Lookin' for that diamond in the rough;_  
_Because you never know when it shows up._  
_Make sure you're holdin' on;_  
_Cause it could be the one,_  
_The one you're waiting on..._

_'Cause nobody wants to be the last one there._  
_'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares._  
_Someone to love with my life in their hands._  
_There has gotta be somebody for me..._  
_Ohhhhhh!_

_Nobody wants to go it on their own;_  
_And everyone wants to know they're not alone._  
_Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?_  
_There's gotta be somebody for me out there._

_Nobody wants to be the last one there;_  
_And everyone wants to feel like someone cares._  
_Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?_  
_There has gotta be somebody for me out there..."_

As L trailed off with the end of the song, Light realized that he'd been very close to drooling, and hurriedly swiped his sleeve against his mouth. The detective was a damn good singer, his voice low and sexy and oh, so captivating... But those were thoughts for later, as he was being summoned to the stage now that L was finished. As before, Mello attempted to choose the song, but Light was much more self-conscious than L and quickly changed the song from Aqua's "Barbie Girl" (evil little bastard) to something more his style. As the lyrics began appearing on the screen, Light lifted the microphone to his mouth and started to sing.

* * *

A/N: I am so sorry for the late update! On a good note, I'm caught up with college, so my next update will be much faster! Lemme know how this chapter came out!

**Also, additional disclaimer: I do not own Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"; Aerosmith, "Toys in the Attic"; Nickelback, "Gotta Be Somebody" - L's song; Aqua, or "Barbie Girl." **


	9. Regret

***Special thanks to Power4Puppies, panda-ryuu-chan, and Dark Miko for reviewing the last chapter.***

Disclaimer: You all know the drill! Me no own!

Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

"_Light singing."_

_

* * *

_

"_My eyes are open wide;  
By the way, I made it through the day.  
I watch the world outside;  
By the way, I'm leaving out today."_

Light instantly regretted his song choice. It really wasn't his style, just a name he vaguely recognized as a song that Sayu had once mentioned. However, it was too late to change it, so he had no choice but to continue singing.

_"I just saw Haley's Comet, shoot-ing;  
Said, "Why are you always running in place?"  
Even the man in the moon disappeared;  
Somewhere in the stratosphere."_

This... wasn't that bad, actually. Aside from everyone staring at him, this was relatively tolerable.

"_Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can;  
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand.  
I'm not angry, I'm just saying;  
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance..."_

Abruptly, Light's good mood soured as his heart clenched, painfully. His parents... He would never see them again. And his mother... Did she know he was Kira?

_"Please don't cry one tear for me;  
I'm not afraid of what I have to say.  
This is my one and only voice;  
So listen close, it's only for today."_

Light's throat was dry, and his eyes were burning. Overcome with grief, he found it increasingly difficult to continue singing.

"_I just saw Haley's Comet, shoo-ting;  
Said, "Why are you always running in place?"  
Even the man in the moon disappeared;  
Somewhere in the stratosphere."_

The tears began to escape, the salty rivulets leaving clear trails down his tanned cheeks.

"_Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can;  
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand.  
I'm not angry, I'm just saying;  
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance..."_

He was outright sobbing by now, but managed to choke out the next two lines of the song.

_"Here is my chance...  
This is my chance...!"_

Light could no longer continue singing. His hand slackened on the microphone, which fell uselessly to the stage, making a shrill noise as it struck the smooth wood. The auburn-haired teen took no notice of this as he was already making a hasty retreat, a hand over his mouth to muffle his sobs. As he passed the other party-goers, he glimpsed a set of coal-black eyes, filled with worry. This didn't stop him, or even slow him down, as he disappeared through the door and ran for the stairs. While all of this was happening, the Karaoke Machine kept playing the melody, and the last few lines of the song disappeared from the screen, remaining unsung:

_Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can;  
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand.  
I'm not angry, I'm just saying;  
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.  
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.  
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance..._

* * *

Once upstairs, Light threw himself at his door, wrenching it open. He hurried into the sitting room and slammed the door behind him, locking it for good measure. He then stumbled to his bedroom, hitting his knee on an armchair along the way. Since the outer door was already locked, Light simply closed the bedroom door behind him, leaving it unlatched. He took the last few steps to his bed and collapsed upon the quilted comforter in a tight ball, sobbing openly with his grief. His family... It had hit him quite suddenly during the song, that he'd never be able to see them again. And he wished... that he could have had the chance to say goodbye.

He wasn't sure how long he had sat there, weeping and wallowing in despair, before a sharp rap at his bedroom door awoke him from his self-induced misery. When he didn't answer, the rap came again, accompanied by a voice this time.

"Light...? May I come in?"

L. The detective must have followed him here. And of course he would possess a spare key for these rooms.

"Light?" L's voice came again, tinted with worry. "I'm coming in."

The door creaked opened a fraction, enough to for L to conclude that Light was in the room, before it was pushed the rest of the way open by the pale detective.

"Light... What's wrong?" Said teenager did not respond, his bangs shielding his eyes from L's probing gaze.

When Light continued to ignore the detective's presence, L took a few hesitant steps into the room, pausing next to the bed. Even though he was now mere inches away, Light still refused to acknowledge him. Deciding it was safe enough, L took a seat beside the still-silent teen, reaching a bony hand out to rest on the younger man's shoulder. No reaction.

"Light... Please, talk to me."

Very slowly, the teen lifted his head to look at L. The detective looked incredibly worried, his eyes reflecting the concern he felt for Light.

"L... I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause a scene at your party..." His voice was small, and rough from crying.

"Don't be silly, Light. I do not care about the _party_. I care about _you_. Won't you please tell me what happened?"

Light's head dropped again, his hair obscuring his honeyed eyes once more. "The song... It reminded me that I never... I never... had the chance to tell my family goodbye. Mom, Dad, and Sayu..." He trailed off, unable to keep speaking through the renewed sobs that were now wracking his body.

"Light..." L's hand tightened on his shoulder, drawing his attention briefly. "...I could allow you to call them..."

Light's entire body tensed. "R-Really? You... You would do that f-for me?"

"Yes. But I warn you, I can only allow you one call-OOF!" He was cut-off as the younger man tackled him to the bed in a grateful hug, warm arms latching around his middle. Light was _hugging him_. And L was at a loss as to how to respond. Hugs were as unfamiliar to him as vegetables were. He just... didn't know what to do when presented with either of them (though, the last time Watari had tried to get him to eat vegetables, it had resulted in the elderly man spending a week trying to clean said veggies off of the ceiling...), but he figured trying to _return_ the hug would be a good start.

Tentatively, L moved to link his arms about Light's shoulders, feeling distinctly uncomfortable at the foreign contact. Light's own arms tightened around him in response, and the light blush that L could feel forming on his pallid face was purely coincidental, he told himself. The teen, who's face was buried somewhere in the crook of L's neck, sensed the discomfort radiating off of the detective under him, and promptly removed himself from said man. He muttered an apology and moved a bit away, giving L some space (and giving himself a way to hide his own blush).

The dark-haired detective blinked owlish eyes curiously, moving into his usual crouch to better study Light. The young man had done some things just now that were _extremely_ out-of-character for him. L had never witnessed Light hugging _anyone_, not even his own _father_. Misa was an exception, as the girl had often forced herself on the brunet, but Light had never returned the affection. Yes, a hug was odd. And the shyness... The teen was currently cowering at the other end of the bed, trying to hide a blush that was _also_ uncharacteristic of him. What was going on with Light...?

"Thank you."

L was brought out of his silent contemplation by Light's voice. "Excuse me?"

"I said 'Thank you,' L." The teen was now staring at his folded hands atop his lap, looking embarrassed. How peculiar...

The detective brought a thumb to his lips, nibbling at the nail and mumbling slightly as he spoke around it. "I know. But why are you thanking me?"

Light did not look up as he spoke. "For allowing me to call my family. It means more to me than you will ever know."

"You do know that I also said that this will be the only time that I will allow you such a liberty, correct?"

The younger man nodded in understanding. "That doesn't matter. You're giving me an opportunity for closure, and that's all I need. I will miss them, to be sure, but at least I now have the chance to give them a proper goodbye. Thank you."

"You're welcome. You may call them tomorrow, but be very careful with what you say. Your mother and sister do not know that you harbor Kira within you, and they must not find out. Your father, under my specific instructions, has simply told them that you have been asked to continue working with a detective from the Kira case, and had to leave the country with this detective for another case. That is all."

"I understand. I won't say anything to jeopardize your identity, or my... secret. I really only want to tell them that I love them, and say goodbye."

"That is fine. And... I will need to listen in on your call, if you do not mind. It is not that I do not trust you, but merely a precaution."

Light nodded in agreement. "I expected that to be a condition, and have no qualms about you eavesdropping."

"Excellent. Now that everything is settled, shall we return before Mello sends out a search party?" The lanky detective shuffled to the edge of the bed in preparation to leave.

"...Wait."

L, with a bare foot dangling inches above the carpet, glanced up at Light through the curtain formed by the hanging strands of his pitch-black hair. "Yes?"

The teen was staring at his lap once more, nimble fingers fiddling with the hem of his button-down dress shirt in... nervousness? "I... I have a birthday gift for you."

Looking gob-smacked, L lifted his foot back onto the bed, resuming the crouch. "You do?" He cocked his head to one side, curious. "How did you manage such a thing in so short a time?"

"Watari. I told him what I wanted, and payed him for it once he delivered it to me."

L tapped his chin with a finger, looking enlightened. "So that is the errand he was occupied with yesterday..."

"Yes. I'm sorry to have "borrowed" him without permission, but this was something I desperately wanted to get for you, and could not do so myself under the current circumstances."

The detective waved this apology off. "That's quite all right. Watari is perfectly capable of making his own decisions. He would have informed me if he thought is was something I should know about."

"Thank you for understanding." Light gave L a half-smile. "It's in my closet. I'll get it for you." The younger man stood from his bed and went to retrieve the gift from said closet, uncaring of the dark eyes that followed his every move. He returned a moment later carrying the large, gift-wrapped box. He moved to sit by L on the bed, much closer than he had been before, and motioned for L to sit cross-legged. The detective did as instructed, and the gift was promptly plopped onto his lap.

'Heavy...' L mused, examining the box. It was wrapped with black and orange paper, signifying the holiday that L shared his birthday with, and topped with a dark purple bow. The tag taped next to the bow read simply 'To: Ryuzaki, From: Light. Happy Birthday!' and the corners of the detective's lips turned up at the sentiment. His thin fingers craftily removed the tag, which was pocketed to be later removed and placed in a different spot for safe-keeping.

Next, L sought the edges of the wrapping paper, and using just thumbs and index fingers, began to meticulously remove the lovely paper. Light watched on anxiously, and a grin spread across his face as the white box beneath the paper was revealed. L read the words, written on the box in an elegant scrawl, with confusion. '_Edible Arrangements_?' he pondered. 'What is that?' The rest of the words on the the box served to only contribute to his confusion. '_The Sweet Indulgence Platter_? What in the world...?'

"Don't just stare at it, L. Open it."

The dark-haired detective took his cue, and used a single thumb and forefinger to lift the edge of the box enough to peer inside. In doing so, he came face-to-face with a combination of chocolate-dipped strawberries (the chocolate used for the dipping included gourmet semi-sweet chocolate, chocolate with almonds, chocolate with coconut, and even white chocolate); chocolate-dipped apple triangles and oranges; and, of course, fresh strawberries. The diabetic's nightmare was topped with a pineapple daisy, and sat piled on a shining silver dish. L was literally rendered speechless; he had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

...

Well... there may have been _one_ exception...

The man lifted his eyes to meet the joy-filled ones of Light. The teenager was eagerly awaiting the detective's verdict on the gift, but he seemed to already decide that L liked the gift, and was glowing with pride at having been able to get something that L liked enough to cause him to react so emotionally. L had not noticed his own hands trembling where he held the box, nor the wet sheen to his usually expressionless eyes, but Light had.

L, still unable to make his tongue cooperate, could do little more than stare at Light in utter shock. After several moments of this, he dropped his head to look down at his gift once more, as if to reassure himself that it was actually there, and that he was not hallucinating. Yep. Still there, and still beautiful. And... oh, dear. He had just noticed his trembling hands as well. As he watched them shake uncontrollably, a salty drop of water landed on his left hand, startling him. Was he... _crying_? As L lifted an unsteady hand to confirm this, he was even more surprised when a tan hand tenderly cupped his cheek, an equally tan thumb brushing the tears away.

"Please, don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you..."

L choked on what was supposed to be a laugh, but came out more like a gurgle. "Y-You didn't upset m-me, L-Light. I'm j-just o-overwhelmed. Th-This is the m-most wonderful gift a-anyone has ever g-given me." He raised his head once more to give the distressed teen a tiny smile, and felt a second hand come up to join the first in wiping away the tears.

The two locked eyes and L felt his breath catch in his throat. The look Light was giving him... it was reverent. As though L were the most important thing in the world to him at that moment. Being a detective, he had seen many people look that way; husbands to their wives, mothers to their children, Misa to Light... L's eyes widened in revelation. Misa had looked at Light this way... The same way Light was currently looking at _him_. And if Misa had been in love with Light when she gave him that look, did that mean... that _Light_ was in love with _him_? But how could this be? There was nothing particularly desirable about his physical appearance, nor was his personality very endearing. Deciding that this was all in his imagination, L returned his attention to Light, only to find that the teen was much closer than he had previously been before.

Light, who still held the detective's pale face between his hands, had observed L going into deep thought, and the myriad of emotions that flashed across his lovely face was fascinating to see. Without his conscious consent, he had felt himself lean closer to the detective, definitely invading his personal space. L appeared not to notice until Light was close enough to feel the older man's warm, sugar-scented breath puff against his face. L's cheeks had reddened when he realized the closeness of their new proximity, a stark contrast to his normally pallid complexion, and he'd stared nervously up at Light before allowing his eyes to flutter closed in anticipation. And as Light moved to close the scant few centimeters that remained between them, his own eyes slipping closed in the process, he realized something terribly important.

When you are about to kiss someone, or be kissed, you should be at least somewhat wary of your surroundings.

Particularly, the still-open door.

Anyone could just waltz right in, you know.

Someone like...

"What the HELL is going on here?"

...Mello.

The two young men sprang apart fast enough to put Olympic champions to shame, both staring at Mello with equal looks of mortification etched onto their faces. The blond was standing in the bedroom doorway, and he looked positively _livid _at the display he had just seen. His hands were fisted at his sides, and he was shaking in rage. For a 14-year-old boy, he looked absolutely _terrifying_.

"What the HELL, L? I thought he was your BUSINESS partner, not some boy-toy! How long has this been going on?"

Finally finding some semblance of composure, L gave the infuriated blond a scathing look. "Nothing happened, Mello, I assure you. Light and I are nothing more than case-solving partners, and that is how it shall remain. Now, if you shall excuse me, I think I should like to retire to my room for the evening."

Mello gave Light one last glare before turning on his heel and exiting the way he had come, blond hair swishing as he moved. Once L was sure he was actually gone, he glanced at Light timidly, unable to fully meet his eyes at the moment. The teen looked just as bashful as L felt. "I'm sorry for that, Light. Mello obviously does not know the meaning of the word 'tact.'"

A small grin broke out on Light's face at the detective's jibe. "It's alright. But L..." The grin dropped. "...What was that just now, between us?"

L was silent for a long moment, before sighing. "I do not know what you mean, Light." L completely missed the hurt that filled Light's face at such a statement, and thus continued. "As I said previously, I shall be leaving. Thank you for the gift." Said gift had almost capsized when the two boys had made their mad dash away from each other, but L had rescued it just in time. The box was now being hefted up by L, and the detective held it protectively as he stepped down from the bed and padded softly to the door. Once there, the older man paused with his back to Light.

"...Goodnight, Light."

Without waiting for a response, L shuffled through the sitting room and disappeared through the front door, which closed with a soft 'click' behind him. He did not look back during this, not even once, but if he had... L would have seen the utterly broken expression that remained on Light Yagami's face for the duration of the night.

* * *

A/N: Yay! A quicker update! My next few updates may be slower, due to college, but I'll try my hardest not to take too long.

**Oh, and additional disclaimer: I do not own Shinedown, "Second Chance" – Light's song; _Edible Arrangements_, a very real place; or _The Sweet Indulgence Platter_, a very real platter that can be bought at _Edible Arrangements_.**


	10. Contemplation

***Special thanks to icywarm, Hyper Kid007, Nani Hatake, panda-ryuu-chan, and Dark Miko for reviewing the last chapter.***

Disclaimer: You all know the drill! Me no own! STILL!

Warnings: ...You know what? I'll dedicate the next chapter to anyone who actually admits that they're reading this author's note.

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

L, huddled atop his rarely-used bed in his impossibly white bedroom, could not control the violent tremors that continuously wracked his body. Nor could he contain the silent tears that trekked down his pallid cheeks. What he had just told Light... was an utter lie. He knew EXACTLY what had been between the two of them. Light had been about to kiss him, and L was going to let him. But Mello... the little boy had ruined the moment.

Or, in L's point-of-view, the child had saved L him from making a huge mistake.

Yes, it was true that the pale detective found Light to be extremely attractive, there was no denying that. And he also could not deny that he was attracted TO the younger man, and had been for as long as he'd known him. But something was holding L back from expressing to Light just how he felt.

It didn't matter that they were both men, as L had largely considered himself to be asexual since adolescence, and was merely happy to find himself attracted to ANYONE. Ergo, the gender of said "attraction" was of absolutely no consequence to L.

Then, there was their age difference. L cared not about the seven-year age gap, as Light was only a few months from turning eighteen. Once the younger man was legal, an age difference would become irrelevant in L's eyes.

And it did not occur to L to even take Kira into his reasons. He knew that Light still harbored the killer within him, and that he would try to take control once more, but L deemed it of little importance; rather, Kira was like unto a speed bump in the road – they would get over it, together, when the time came.

Then what, exactly, was holding L back? What had stopped him from slamming the door in Mello's interrupting face, then returning to Light and kissing him senseless? What was stopping him from crossing the hall this very minute, apologizing to Light, and continuing where they left off?

Fear.

He was terrified, so very afraid of becoming hurt, a truth that was undeniable. Despite his feelings for Light, he just could not allow himself to indulge in what could be the best thing to ever happen to him, due to his irrational fear.

What he felt... L could not quite put a name to it yet, but it was too strong, and entirely centered on Light. He had never felt this way about anyone before, and it was entirely overwhelming. The detective knew, deep down inside, that Light would never intentionally hurt him, but... the fear was intense.

During the Kira investigation, when L had been studying Light, he had heard rumors of the younger man's... conquests. According to what he'd learned, Light had had quite the reputation as a "ladies-man." His sources indicated that not only had the brunet had several girlfriends (no mentions were ever made of boyfriends), but that he'd been involved with more than one girl at a single time. If these gossips were true, then it would only heighten the deepest fear that L felt; the one fear that diligently held him back from attempting to start a relationship with Light.

The fear that Light would use him, like the others, and drop him when he was through.

And that was something that L could not allow.

So, in lieu of this fear (illogical though it may be) and the sway it held over him, L decided that a relationship between Light and himself could not be allowed to happen.

End of story.

* * *

He had fallen hard, hadn't he? It was the only way to properly explain what he felt for L, why he'd acted so uncharacteristic of himself over the last few days where the pale detective was concerned.

He was attracted, both mentally and physically, to L.

And he suddenly realized that he had been for months, ever since he was first handcuffed to the older man.

Why had he not realized this sooner? It was altogether too obvious when he stopped to see the signs.

How many times had he gazed at L from the corner of his eye, too entranced by the man's ethereal beauty to entirely look away?

How many times had he secretly thanked every God he knew for those damnable handcuffs than bound them together?

How many times had he curled just a little closer to the older man at night, in the ruse that he had done so in his sleep?

How many times had he longed to tangle his fingers in hair the shade of pitch and draw that pale mouth down against his own, just to see if those lips tasted as sweet as they looked?

Too many times.

And why is it, now that he had come to understand his feelings for what they were - a strong, undeniable attraction - L just pushed him away without so much as batting an eyelash?

Hell if he knew.

But if L did not desire the type of relationship that Light craved to have with him, then the younger man was going to have to suck it up and not pursue that which he knew he could not have.

He was just going to have to accept the fact that L did not want Light in the way in which Light wanted him.

No matter how much it hurt.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and sunny, a contrast to the moods of both Light and L. It seemed that a black cloud of angst hovered over each man, infecting all who came near with their miserableness.

Light was not looking forward to starting a new case with L quite yet.

L was not looking forward to starting a new case with Light quite yet.

But personal feelings must not get in the way of professionalism, and Light soon found himself standing outside of L's suit, waiting to be let in. As the door swung inward, seemingly of it's own accord, Light schooled his features to be perfectly neutral, not allowing a hint of the internal pain he felt to appear externally on his blank face. He forced himself to enter the darkened room now revealed to him, appearing calm and unaffected.

And L was none the wiser.

Or... so Light had thought.

In reality, the older detective had noticed immediately that something was off about his new partner. Light was entirely too composed after last night's events. It were as though the younger man were wearing a mask, one that was meant to conceal his tumultuous emotions.

But L knew better.

Light should know by now that L was the one person who could see past his defenses, who could break down his walls and crumble his barriers.

L could effectively destroy Light Yagami with naught but a few well-placed words.

But L could never bear to do so.

So, he watched anxiously as Light entered the sitting room of L's suit, only to tilt his head curiously when Light seemed neither surprised nor impressed by what he saw. The once-sitting room was no longer such; now, it resembled something of a science-fiction movie. Electronics covered every wall, from floor to ceiling, and many of them were unfamiliar to Light as his eyes apathetically appraised the room. Like Light's own suit, a single door led to what must have been L's bedroom. For just a moment, Light yearned to venture beyond that door, to discover the secrets of L that none but a select few would ever have the privilege of knowing... but that feeling sputtered out of existence as his eyes snapped to the ever-watchful detective at the head of the room.

The older man was observing him with unreadable eyes, balancing precariously on the edge of his swivel chair, a thumb contemplatively pressed against his bottom lip. He appeared to be waiting expectantly for Light to join him at the joint computer desk that claimed that entire wall, and as Light moved to do so, the steel door behind him clanged shut.

Keeping up the pretense of one who was at peace with the world, Light took a seat beside L, and politely asked for any and all information pertaining to the case they would be starting today. L, just as tranquil and courteous as Light, supplied the younger man all that he had asked for.

They began to work on the case together.

And it felt as though things were completely normal between the two of them.

…

Okay, not quite.

It had started when L had reached a hand out for a piece of paper, and Light had done the same. Their hands met atop the paper, and both had drawn back as though burned, dark blushes overcoming each of their faces and shifty eyes staring at anything but each other for well over an hour.

It had progressed when Light realized he was continuously sneaking furtive glances at the detective throughout the day, and had caught L doing the same to him on more than one occasion. At these times, when their eyes had met and the guilty looks on their faces were prominent, neither man could control the blush that spread across their faces like wildfire.

And it all came to a head when a chocolate-covered strawberry had magically appeared in L's hand. Light knew instinctively that it had come from his birthday present to the older man, and that it was the luckiest piece of fruit on the face of the planet. The way the older man was laving the strawberry with his tongue was nothing short of molestation, and Light desperately wanted to rip the fruit away from L and replace it with his own mouth...

Bad thoughts, Light. Bad thoughts.

Light then remembered his earlier resolution to make no move on L, and this served to placate him. With much effort on his part, Light reigned in his raging hormones before the older detective could see the way his brunet partner was leering at him. L continued to assail his strawberry, oblivious to the previous effect he had had on his younger companion.

Damned strawberries.

* * *

It had been quiet for some time now. They had not spoken to each other since L had explained the parameters of the case to Light that morning. They had avoided contact with each other like the plague. Even the secretive glances had become few and far between, eventually stopping altogether.

And the strawberry that was the root of many devious thought's on Light's part had long since been devoured by L.

It was as though the events of that morning had never transpired.

It continued this way until Light rose to leave for the day. As he was passing L (and studiously avoiding acknowledging the detective's existence), all sounds of typing abruptly stopped. Light ignored this lack of sound, and still ignored when L's swivel chair creaked as the older man swung around to regard Light's retreating back. It wasn't until L called to him that Light finally gave pause.

"Light."

...

"I think we need to talk."

The younger man sifted his weight to his left foot, indicating he was not pleased with the direction of this conversation. "...About what?"

"Do not mock me, Light. You know what it is we need to speak of."

Unseen by L, Light crossed his arms over his chest. The detective did, however, notice the younger man shift his weight again, this time to his right foot. "And if I were to decline participation in this so-called 'heart-to-heart?'"

"I would not force you into anything, Light, but I truly feel that this is for the best." It was extremely difficult to read Light when L could not see his face, but he hoped that his last statement would lure the younger man into a conversation.

And it appeared that L had won when he observed Light's shoulders slumping slightly in defeat, followed by a resigned sigh. "...Alright. We'll talk." Without uncrossing his arms, the younger man stiffly returned to his chair, swiveling it around to face L and waiting expectantly.

L cleared his throat in apprehension, wondering for a moment where he should start, then deciding to take the safe path. "I'm sorry."

"...Sorry?" Light's voice reflected more confusion than was evident on his face.

"Yes. I realize that my rejection last night must have hurt you, and I am sorry that I caused you such pain."

"...Is that all?"

L blanched at the lifeless tone that Light had adopted, and his own voice bordered on a mixture of hurt and slight annoyance. "What else do you want me to say, Light?"

Quite suddenly, Light's voice morphed from lifeless to livid, his eyes burning with his fury. "Oh, I don't know... how about a valid reason for your rejection, huh! I don't want an apology, L, I want an explanation!"

"As of right now, I'm afraid that I am not at liberty to divulge the reasons behind my decision. What almost happened last night cannot, and will not, be allowed to be repeated. I'm sure you understand..."

The way L spoke, so very candid, effectively abolished all hope that Light harbored of convincing the detective to engage in a romantic relationship with him. Light knew then that arguing the point was useless, that L would never come around to his way of thinking. He was just as stubborn as Light was, and trying to change the older detective's mind was like trying to move a mountain: it simply could not be done.

"...I understand." The words were spoken so softly that L had to strain to hear them.

"I'm glad that you do."

Again Light rose from his chair, albeit much more mechanically this time, and moved to leave the room. "I'm going... to go lay down. I don't feel very well... I'll just... call my family tomorrow, instead of today..."

L observed his retreating back with a hint of worry. "Light, you have not eaten today. Perhaps you would like to eat before departing to bed?"

"...I'm not hungry..." The younger man paused before the steel door, waiting patiently for it to open. Once it had, he disappeared into the hallway, the door clanging shut behind him.

L swiveled back to face his computer monitor and brought a thumb to his mouth, vigorously worrying at the nail. Denying what he felt to Light had possibly pushed the younger man over the edge, and he was overwhelmed with guilt at having caused this pain to his partner. He wanted so much to simply stop caring about his fear and hurry over to Light's room to apologize, to tell him the truth...

...but he couldn't. The fear was too powerful to ignore, even though Light's earlier actions screamed that he was truly in love with L, and had showed no signs of untoward intentions.

L's denial just now served to be a temporary solution to a permanent problem, as Light's feelings would have to be dealt with sooner or later, one way or another.

And THAT was a confrontation that L was NOT looking forward to.

* * *

A/N: I apologize my long absence, and a shorter chapter than usual. I have no excuses (though, I would blame a few collage exams, if I were you). I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, 'cause I certainly enjoyed typing it. ^_^

Random shout-out: I LUFF YOO, LAWLI-CHAN!


	11. Revelation

***CHAPTER DEDICATIONS! This chapter is dedicated to those two people who read the Warnings from the last chapter, and commented on it: My Lawli-Chan and Dark Miko. Thanks for reading!***

****Special thanks to Dark Miko, icywarm, sasunaru4evar, panda-ryuu-chan, Nani Hatake, ReturntoZero1, and Brie-kun for reviewing the last chapter. 7 reviews for one chapter? A record!****

Disclaimer: You all know the drill! Me no own! STILL!

Warnings: **READ THIS!** I've decided that I'm NOT giving warnings this chapter. Instead, I am going to address several questions/comments/complaints/concerns that I have been asked through reviews. I will answer them to the best of my ability, and explain my reasoning. Also, I have revamped the summary for the story, made minor corrections to a few chapters, and a change to the last chapter. If you go back to the section at the beginning, where Light is thinking about his feelings, you should be able to detect it. If not, just read below.

1. This is something that panda-ryuu-chan has asked me: **Isn't it too soon for Light to think that he is in love with L?** After much deliberation, I disagree, but have made accommodations to appease you. I have gone back and made changes to the last chapter that pertain to Light being in love with L; it now insinuates that Light is ATTRACTED to L, which is much more believable and entirely reasonable. I am going by the actual timeline – as best I can, at least. This means that L and Light first met each other way back in January, and it is now early October. That's about eight full months. So, it is safe to assume that Light had at least been ATTRACTED to L for the last four months, and is just now realizing it. Also, I am a firm believer in "love at first sight," which is also plausible.

2. This is also something that was asked by panda-ryuu-chan: **And where is Rem? You never mention her anymore. **As previously mentioned in an earlier chapter (Chapter 5, to be precise), Rem took her Death Note and returned to the Shinigami Realm, never to reappear in this fic. The reason behind this is purely selfish – I do NOT like Rem. Sorry to her fans, but I'm a hater, and I wanted her gone.

3. This final one was, again, asked by panda-ryuu-chan: **And where is my favorite shinigami, Ryuk? Sure he knew that Light had his memories back? **Yes, Ryuk knows that Light has his memories back, and I PROMISE that he will come back into the story. I have plans for Ryuk, Light's Death Note, and Kira, so no one needs to worry about THAT. Hehehe...

If anyone has anything else they wish for me to explain, do not hesitate to ask, okay? Now, enough ranting, and back to the story!

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

_Flashback._

_

* * *

_

'Why does it hurt so much?' Light mused. Night had fallen after the catastrophe that was L's rejection, and said teen was currently lying in bed, his arms crossed and resting against his stomach, russet hair mussed and hazel eyes staring blankly up at the colorless ceiling. He was mentally reviewing what had transpired earlier today in the investigation room between L and himself, and had come to the conclusion that the rejection hurt about as much as he thought it would. It was almost as though L had physically torn his heart from his chest and danced on it, purely out of enjoyment. In all honesty, it shouldn't hurt as much as it did. After all, it was only an attraction; maybe... maybe a small infatuation, right?

Right.

…

...Oh, who the Hell was he kidding, anyway?

Light had been rejected several times in the past, but none of them hurt even HALF as much as this one did. L was... well... okay, so the teen wasn't quite sure WHAT L was to him yet, but he was sure that L was something special. The number of times L had done or said something that made Light want to melt into a puddle of bliss were numerous, and a few of these instances stood out in the teen's mind as especially memorable. Like that one time, when they were still handcuffed together...

*Flashback.*

"_Looks like rain," commented L. He turned his empty gaze on the teen next to him. The two of them, along with the rest of the Kira task force, were currently searching for the murderer that bared the same title as that of the motley group of men who were searching for him (or her). "What do you think, Light?"_

_Light resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and didn't bother to pause in his furious typing before answering. "Ryuzaki, shouldn't you be working? Why are you staring out the window?"_

"_But I'm not staring out the window, Light." At Light's raised eyebrow, and his uncanny ability to unceasingly type while still managing to stay engaged in an above-average conversation, L continued in a thoughtful voice. "I'm actually staring at you. The comment about the rain was merely an observation."_

_At this, Light finally concluded his typing and turned in his swivel chair to face his partner. He hesitated just once, only because he wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer, and finally asked, "…Why are you staring at me?"_

_L brought his thumb to his lip and spoke around it. "The obvious answer? I was recalculating your probability of being Kira."_

_Aside from the slight irritation seeping into his eyes, Light maintained his stoic facade. "Oh? And what is my current probability, Ryuzaki?"_

_There was a pause, as L thought for a moment. "Seven minutes ago, I would have said fourteen percent; however, your curiosity about your probability has now risen the likelihood that you are Kira to seventeen percent."_

_Light instantaneously saw red. L's answer had infuriated him to the point that he surprised both of them when he lunged at the older detective. Light's fist connected solidly to the left side of L's face, and L's foot embedded itself in Light's chest a moment later, the teen choking back a pained gasped. The force of the dual blows sent both men sprawling to the floor, the shock of the impact leaving both of them lying on the carpeted ground, gasping for air, and only slightly tangled in the chain._

_Before Light could recover his missing breath, he felt a foot slam into his right cheek and his head snapped to the side. He recovered quickly, however, and lunged again. His momentum sent him crashing into the older detective, and his fist implanted itself into the right side of L's face, even as L's foot connected harshly with his left shin. Light maneuvered himself away from the punishing appendage and responded with a kick of his own, digging his knee into L's unprotected stomach. The older man gasped painfully, but refused to cry out._

_L recovered slowly, but he still managed to grasp Light's collar with one hand and pull his other hand into a fist, preparing to strike. The teen swiftly kicked out his leg and swept L's own feet out from under the surprised detective. In doing so, however, Light forgot the hand grasping his collar. Due to the miscalculation, both men were sent tumbling to the floor in a pile of limbs. The older detective could be heard wheezing painfully, but Light was miraculously uninjured by the sudden descent, as his fall had been broken by something soft._

_Something soft that was wheezing painfully._

_...Oh. That something was L, wasn't it? Light quickly surmised that the sudden application of his heavier weight had winded the older detective, and that he was probably cutting off his air supply. He hastily made to remove himself from L, but paused when he was poised above him on hands and knees. He couldn't help but stare at the man below him, because L looked so... beautiful at that moment. It was true that the younger man had thought once or twice in the past that L wasn't all that bad-looking, but those instances didn't even hold a candle to how the man looked now. Even with the bruise on his face, which was beginning to swell, the detective had never looked more lovely to Light. The man was still breathing heavily through parted lips, chest heaving up and down, the lack of air giving his normally pallid cheeks a rosy tint. His ebony hair was spread about his head like a dark halo. _

_But his eyes... they were the most spectacular. The onyx orbs, though usually dull and lifeless, were now gazing up at him and shining with a most exquisite fire – like smoldering embers. And though it may have been in anger, such a look directed at Light from the detective sent a thrill through his body. He wished that L would look at him like that forever... _

"_Ahem."_

_Both teen and detective turned their gazes to meet those of the, until now, forgotten task force. The one who had spoken was none other than Light's father, Chief Yagami. _

"_If you two don't mind, we have a case to solve. If you must fight, please do so on your own time." Chief Yagami continued._

_Light quickly scrambled up and away from L, the older detective rising to his own feet a moment later. L took a quick stock of his injuries, as both men were now sporting bruises on their faces, along with several other contusions in various other places (thankfully, none of them were bleeding), before turning to look apathetically at the Chief. _

"_Well said, Mr. Yagami." He regarded the rest of the task force, down to Matsuda and Mogi, now that Aizawa was gone, and smiled repentantly. "I apologize. I let myself get carried away. However, I will try to refrain from… brawling, as it were, with Light during work hours in the future."_

_The rest of the group, minus Light, seemed satisfied with this and settled back down to work. Light just stood there, a slight blush adorning his face as he stared at L. The detective looked back blankly, before shrugging and righting his fallen chair, which had been knocked over in the fight. He sat down and tugged on the chain gently, indicating that light should do so as well. Light stared at him a moment more, before begrudgingly complying._

_Thus, the task force continued peacefully on with their work for the rest of the day._

*End Flashback.*

He should have known right then and there, Light supposed, that he was attracted to L. After all, men do not usually refer to other men as "beautiful" or "lovely," even if they are referring to said other men as such in the relative safety of their mind.

Honestly. Flamboyant, much?

And if he WERE being honest with himself, he would recall that he had thought L was beautiful or lovely or some other endearment on several additional occasions.

Just once or twice, though.

…

Well... maybe a few more times than that.

…

...Okay, all the time.

And these thoughts had been occurring as far back as the time in which Kira had complete control of his body. Back then, the thoughts had been few and far between: a simple "nice smile" here, a stray "cute walk" there, nothing overly dramatic. But as time progressed, as it so often does, and Kira began his hibernation, the thoughts had grown in both quality and quantity. Suddenly, his mind was filled with nothing but L; all of it was just a jumble of words and phrases that vaguely resembled actual thoughts, and Light had no idea how he had kept his sanity in the beginning stage of his attraction.

During that, the teen realized, he had been doing more than just thinking scrambled thoughts. In the beginning stage of his attraction, Light had also been subconsciously courting L. Like that one time, also while they were still chained together, he had managed to talk L into taking the two of them outside for some fresh air...

*Flashback.*

_The duo had long since recovered from the wounds of the precious scuffle, and were currently taking a short walk in a nearby park. They were silent as they strolled side-by-side, both content to simply be in welcome company. The chain that bound them together was less conspicuous than usual, wrapped around L's arm as it was, and though it's new-found shortness brought their hands dangerously close together, neither seemed to mind it very much. And for once, all was peaceful between them._

_Surprisingly, it was L who broke the tranquility. "Light, what is that there, on the ground, that you are about to step on?"_

_Light paused, mid-step, to peer down at the side walk. "It's... a sakura blossom." He stooped to retrieve the flower, bringing it close to his face for inspection. "And it's in perfect condition, too." A quick glance around him proved to Light that something was off. "But... there are no sakura trees in this park. How strange."_

_L brought a finger to his lip in contemplation. "Perhaps it was blown here from another location?"_

"_Yes, that is a fair assumption. Here." The younger man extended the hand holding the blossom to L, indicating that the man should take it. Reluctantly, as if unsure the action were correct or not, L plucked the flower from Light's hand and studied it. Seeming to come to some sort of satisfactory conclusion, the detective shrugged nonchalantly, lowered the hand containing the flower, and ambled forward without so much as a "thank you" to Light._

_Rather than be irked at L's lack of manners, the teen just followed after, feeling quite bemused for some reason. They continue this way, in another companionable silence, until the duo stumbled upon a sight that was most welcome to L: a vendor selling ice-cream. Immediately, the detective's slow gait became a little more hurried, his eyes locked on the vendor and his merchandise. As they approached the stand, the vendor looked up at them with a smile. "Can I help you, gentlemen?"_

_Light shook his head negatively, but L was quick to order. "Yes. I would like a strawberry cone, please."_

"_Coming right up! That'll be $3.50, sir."_

_L dug in his pocket with the hand not holding the flower, but his search proved fruitless. "Oh, dear... It appears that I have forgotten my wallet. I'm afraid that I will have to cancel that order. I do apologize."_

"_Don't worry about it. The two of you have a nice day, alri-"_

"_Wait."_

_L, a look of mild interest on his face, turned to regard Light, who had been the one to speak. "Yes, Light?"_

_But Light wasn't looking at L; no, all of the younger man's attention was on the vendor. "He's still getting that strawberry cone. I'll pay for it." And with that, Light pulled forth his wallet from his pocket, extracted the proper amount, payed the vendor for the ice-cream, and returned the wallet to his pocket._

"_Thank you, sir. And here's your strawberry cone." The vendor held out an ice-cream cone to L, and due to its awkward shape, the detective was forced to use his entire hand to hold it – something Light had never seen L do before. As before, the teen received no thanks for his deed, and was pulled away from the vendor as the detective began searching for something. It became apparent that L was looking for a place to sit and devour his tasty treat when Light saw that they were heading in the direction of a stone bench._

_When they arrived, it was to a bench that was almost full, except for a small opening on the very end. Before L could say anything or start to look for another bench, Light spoke up. "Sit. Your ice-cream is beginning to melt." _

_As though in slow-motion, the detective once again took what was offered to him, and moved to perch on the end of the bench. And for the third time, the younger man had received no thanks. It didn't bother him as much as it should have, though, for he was used to such quirks from L. The detective was thankful, even if he didn't express it verbally. Besides, he didn't really mind standing, anyway._

_While L slurped away at his ice-cream cone, Light observed the scenery. The bench was placed at an optimal location – right on the edge of a beautiful pool of water, which was either a large pond or a small lake. Either way, the view was spectacular, and the teen was glad he was able to see it, even if just this one time. He continued to survey his lush surroundings until he suddenly became quite aware of a lack of noise at his side. Glancing down, the younger man noticed that L had finished his ice-cream, and was looking toward the lake as Light had done, a faraway look in his dark eyes. When L spoke, Light almost jumped at the suddenness of it, despite the airy quality of the detective's tone._

"_Light... I wish to thank you."_

_The teen blinked, astonished, at the rare words of gratitude. "For what, Ryuzaki?"_

_Said man turned slightly to face Light, tilting his head back a bit to look up at his companion. "For everything, Light. For the flower, for the ice-cream, and for the bench. You did not have to do any of those things for me, yet you did. So am I thanking you."_

_There were so many things that could have been said or done in response, but Light decided on a simple route:_

_He gave L a smile so warm it could melt ice, and merely responded, "Anytime, Ryuzaki. Anytime."_

*End Flashback.*

Flowers... Gifts... Chivalry... He had been wooing L from the very beginning, and he hadn't even been aware of it. And now that he knew, everything made sense. His admiration of the detective, the subconscious courting, the attraction... This wasn't some school-boy crush. Light hesitated to admit it, even to himself, but there was really only one thing this could be.

Love.

He was in love with L.

That also explained why the detective's rejection had hurt so much; it was much more painful to be rejected by someone you were in love with than to be rejected by someone you didn't really care about. But... wasn't it a little sudden to jump to the conclusion that this was, in fact, love he was feeling for L? After a moment's deliberation, Light decided that not only was it NOT sudden, but also that it was ABOUT DAMN TIME that he made this realization. He had known L for going on eight months and had had feelings for the detective for nearly that long, even when Kira was still in control. It just took him so long to see it because he had been denying it, for reasons still unknown, all of this time.

The smile that had bloomed on Light's face during all of this suddenly died at his next thought: he may have finally realized that he was in love with L, but said realization had come too late. L didn't want him now, if he ever actually did, and had said so himself that they couldn't be together. Any happy thoughts that were brought about by his pleasant discovery were now extinguished, for he could not pursue L, not when such attentions were so blatantly unwanted by the detective.

So, then, his only real option was this: starting tomorrow, he will act completely normal around L, treat the detective the same way in which he always did, and hope that he was somehow able to fall out of love before his feelings could get him hurt again. Though he had employed this same tactic earlier today, and though it had failed miserably, the teen was sure he could succeed if he just tried harder the second time around.

With his mind set, and determined to make this plan work, Light rolled onto his side and fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.

* * *

A/N: Holy Hell! I've been gone FOREVER, haven't I? And I am so, so sorry that I was. For a very long time, I felt wholly unmotivated to continue this story; miraculously, it was a wonderful friend who accidentally caused me to start writing again. Thanks to her, I finished this entire chapter (except for the author's note/ rant at the beginning) in a single evening. And what's more, she doesn't even know that she's done all of this for me. Well, I'm telling her now, and I want her to know that I am eternally grateful. As a special note from me to her, and as a way of letting her know that it is her I'm talking about, I say this: "Thank you, Love. You know who you are."

Anywho, I hoped you all liked this chapter. My updates should be a bit more regular, now that I'm on Winter Break. And though I'm not one to ask for reviews, you should all know this: More reviews = more motivation = faster update. Happy Holidays, everyone!


	12. Plans

***CHAPTER DEDICATION! This chapter is dedicated to the wonderfully generous and incredibly talented Sashocirrione, who reviewed several chapters of this story recently. Thanks for reading!***

****Special thanks to icywarm, Sashocirrione, Hyper Kid007, Dark Miko, panda-ryuu-chan, and Vega Nightshade for reviewing the last chapter. ****

Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I'm saving up to buy it. Just a few billion more yen to go... MUWAHAHA!

Warnings: If you don't know the warnings by now, then what are you doing here?

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

From the moment he awoke, Light instinctively knew that today was going to be a good day. He wasn't quite sure how he knew this – it might have been the way the sunshine seemed to invigorate his very soul, or it may have been the lighthearted feeling that encompassed his entire being... either was possible, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that he knew today was going to be good.

Immediately after waking, the teen sauntered over to L's room and awaited the opening of the steel door. Light was sure that the detective could see the smile that adorned his face through the cameras, and was probably curious as to the cause of said smile. Tough luck for L, because divulging his plan meant instant failure for Light; thus, his plan had to remain secret – especially from L - and this thought only made his smile all the wider.

The door swung open and the teen ambled inside, freezing just inside the room. He and L were not alone, for Mello and Near occupied a nearby table, both staring at him. Papers were scatted every which-way across the metallic surface of the table, but the boys paid them no mind; instead, the younger duo appeared to be... waiting for something.

Sensing a third pair of eyes on him, Light sought out the dark gaze of L, only to find the detective giving him an unreadable look. As the teen moved to question the addition of Mello and Near, the older detective preempted him.

"They are to begin their tutelage today. Unless they are told otherwise, their objective for the day is simply to observe the two of us and take notes." L spoke around the thumb pressed delicately against his lips. His explanation seemed to satisfy Light, for the younger man nodded in understanding before joining L at the computer desk, and promptly going straight to work.

Throughout the day, Light was constantly aware of the eyes on his person, sometimes Mello and Near, other times L. The teen felt a great sense of pride that L's gaze always appeared either curious or confused. Light felt that such emotions in L meant that his plan was working.

And indeed, he was correct.

The dark-haired detective spent little of the designated work time actually doing work. Most, if not all, of his attention was directed to Light. When Light had turned up for work this morning – and L had had his doubts about the teen appearing for work at all today, much less with a wide smile on his face – the detective had been very nearly floored by Light's demeanor. The teen seemed... normal, for lack of a more descriptive word. To L, it was almost physically painful to watch Light act so cheerful after what he had done to the younger man. Light was acting as though... yesterday had never even occurred.

This thought disturbed L far more than he would ever admit.

It was then that L decided to devise a plan. Cold-hearted though it may have sounded, the detective NEEDED to know that Light still remembered what had happened yesterday. And so, L proceeded to reenact the events of yesterday, in the exact order they had occurred.

First, the paper incident. L waited patiently for Light to reach for a piece of paper, and once he did, L's own hand shot out to grab the same sheet of paper. Their hands met atop the paper, as they had yesterday, but the reaction on Light's part was vastly different; instead of drawing his hand back, he snatched up the paper and offered it to L, a smile on his face instead of the dark blush of yesterday.

Strike one.

As the first part of his plan had been a spectacular failure, L moved immediately into the next part: shooting each other furtive glance. Only... L seemed to be the only one doing the glancing. It appeared that Light was completely oblivious to the shy looks the older detective was shooting him. Alternatively, Light gave him a smile and a curt, "Did you need something, L?" whenever the detective gave him such a glance.

Strike two.

After two failed phases of his plan, L was beginning to sweat. Not literally, of course – for the Great Detective L most certainly does NOT sweat when under pressure – but figuratively. This next part was the third and final part. If THIS part did not draw a reaction from Light, then the entire plan had been a waste of time. Though, judging by the younger man's past reaction to what he was about to do, L assumed he had a very good chance - at least 87% - of finally succeeding. Thus, the detective could not suppress the smirk of triumph that briefly crossed his face as he withdrew his final option – his secret weapon...

...A luscious strawberry, dipped in decadent chocolate.

The smirk returned as L noticed that, although he had not had Light's attention before, he most certainly had it now. With deliberate slowness, the detective drew his tongue along the fruit, mimicking his actions of yesterday in the hopes of being able to make Light squirm once more. Oh, L had most certainly known what effect this had had on Light yesterday – the lusting eyes following his every move had been hard to ignore - and had been perfectly aware that the teen had grown increasingly uncomfortable the longer that L had done this. The question, then, was this: would Light's reaction now be similar to the one of yesterday? If the look L was currently receiving was any indication, then yes, it would be fairly identical.

As per yesterday, L once more molested the fruit with his tongue, lips, and teeth in an erotic display that would make even a straight man blush. Yes, even Light's visage had a slightly rosy tint to it. And as the teen leaned toward L, the detective considered his little plan a resounding success. That is, until...

"Do you have any more of those? I kinda skipped breakfast..." The teen gave an abashed chuckle, and L's hopes were instantly dashed. The flush upon the teen's cheeks was one of embarrassment, not of desire. The plan had utterly failed.

Strike three, and you're out.

Before responding, L quickly finished off the strawberry and hid the disappointed pout that had settled on his lips. "No, Light. I am afraid that was the last one. However, as it is currently early afternoon, we shall break for lunch." He nodded to the younger duo who were watching the older men with rapt attention. "This includes the two of you. Go eat, all of you, and we shall reconvene here in an hour."

Knowing a dismissal when they've been given one, Mello and Near scurried out of the room as soon as the door had opened, the anticipation of food too great to be ignored. Light followed after them shortly, not sparing a single word for the dark-haired detective. Only after the steel door had clanged shut behind him and he was a safe distance away did Light finally allow himself his own smirk of triumph. His plan was working perfectly. And the look on L's face when the strawberry molestation hadn't phased him? Priceless.

'Oh, yes,' mused Light, as he descended the main staircase. 'Today is going to be a good day.'

* * *

When Light entered the kitchen, a pair of piercing blue eyes rose to regard him. The blond owner of the eyes was sitting across from his albino counterpart, studiously ignoring the younger boy's presence whilst eating something unidentifiable due to it's heavy chocolate coating. As Light moved through the kitchen, making himself something to eat, he was aware of Mello's eyes following him. It wasn't until Near had finished his own lunch and had exited the kitchen that the blond finally spoke up.

"Is there something going on between you and L?"

The question took Light completely by surprise, and the teen promptly began to choke on the bite of sandwich he had just swallowed. It wasn't until he'd consumed almost half of his glass of water that he'd stopped coughing enough to respond. "What makes you say that, Mello?"

The little blond gave him a pointed look. "I'm not second in line to be L's successor for nothing, Light. In fact, I would have to be a complete moron to miss the signs you two were giving off earlier."

In lieu of a blush, Light was able to simply shrug it off, a mask of indifference covering his face. "I don't know what you're talking about. There is absolutely nothing going on between L and myself."

Mello's eyes narrowed to pinpoints, searching Light for any hint of a lie. "Riiiiiiiiiight..."

The older teen shrugged once more. "Think what you want, but I am quite serious when I say that nothing is going on between the two of us."

After another long, searching look, Mello finally relented. "I'll let you off the hook this time, Pretty Boy. But mark my words, I DO plan to find out what's going on with you and L."

Light's features became thoughtful then, and he stood to discard the rest of his lunch. As he passed Mello to leave, he paused just behind the little blond, and spoke in a low, almost cold voice. "You're not the only observant one in this house. And if I were you, I would be more worried about hiding the fact that you do not despise Near quite as much as you would have everyone else believe, rather than prying into either L's or my own personal life." And with that said, Light wandered out of the kitchen, leaving a red-faced, slack-jawed Mello behind.

The infamous recurring smirk returned full-force as Light ascended the staircase. Today was certainly shaping up to be a good day.

* * *

As instructed, the trio returned to L's room no more than an hour after they'd gone. Near was the first to arrive, busying himself with the organization of his notes. Light followed soon after, ignoring the way L's eyes remained riveted on his form as he settled back into his designated chair and dove back into his work.

Mello, quite obviously, was last. There was no trace of the blush that he had sported in the kitchen; however, he seemed just a bit fidgety, as though he were nervous of something. No one noticed the fidgeting other than Light, who occasionally sent interested little glances Mello's way from the corner of one almond-shaped eye.

Unfortunately, this unusual behavior did no go unseen by all.

L had seen the looks that Light had been giving Mello, and the detective was positively fuming. What the HELL was going on here? At his birthday party, the two of them seemed to loathe each other at best. This morning, the two of them seemed nothing more than a pair of opposites making the best of a bad situation. And now, Light was sending Mello appraising looks that just SCREAMED "attraction."

As L continued to observe his younger partner, he allowed his eyes to wander to Mello, curious of the blond's reaction to the way Light kept glancing at him. At first, it appeared that the little blond had no clue he was even being watched; however, after a while, his azure gaze rose and met the honeyed eyes of Light. The look the two younger men shared in that instant spoke volumes, as though they completely understood each other and were conveying this through their eyes.

What. The. Hell.

L could feel the fiery tendrils of jealousy coursing through his veins. Light should NOT be allowed to look at Mello in such a way. The blond was much too young for Light. Of course, L neglected to take into account that Mello was only three years younger than Light, whereas L was seven years Light's senior. After all, why drag specifics into this?

Age differences aside, who was L to decide whom Light should or should not date? He had turned the younger man down, after all. It was his own fault that Light was giving Mello such looks. The detective had known that the teen would not stay single forever, but he had had no idea that Light would already be interested in someone else so soon, and with one of his own successors no less. Perhaps he had been correct to believe those rumors about Light's reputation...

"Is something wrong?"

The onyx orbs belonging to L snapped up to meet Light's own caramel-colored gaze at the question. "Excuse me?"

The teen tilted his head curiously, all of his attention now on L. "You were staring at me, with a far-away look in your eyes. Were you in deep thought? I didn't mean to disturb you..."

"No, Light. You did not disturb me. I was simply going over an aspect of the current case in my mind." Of course, the detective could not tell the truth, for he knew that Light's reaction would be less than cheerful.

"Oh, I see." Light knew for certain that L had not told the truth, but kept this revelation to himself. "And what did you find out, if you don't mind my asking?"

L tried to create a quick excuse, but was unable to think of anything; thus, as he pressed a thumb against his lips, he decided on taking the obvious, but safe route. "Nothing of importance, I'm afraid."

The teen gave a sympathetic nod. "That's understandable. This case is quite difficult."

L gave a half-shrug, raising and lowering a single shoulder. "I suppose."

Seeing that he wasn't going to get much more out of L, but still desiring to converse, Light blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "May I make that phone call to my family, now?"

Obviously, the detective was not expecting to be asked such a thing, as his surprise could be clearly seen on his features. "Of course you can. The phone next to you is tapped, so I will be able to listen in on the call using a headset." L leaned forward slightly, teetering on his chair with his precarious position, and snatched up the aforementioned headset. Once it was nestled against his dark hair, he gave the teen a silent nod. Light then proceeded to pick up the phone and dial his family's number.

The phone rang several times before it was picked up, a weary female voice answering in Japanese. "Hello?"

Light was unsure of what he should say first, so after mentally switching back to Japanese himself, he settled with, "Hey, Mom."

The was an odd silence at the other end of the line, before literal chaos erupted. As far as L could tell, only dogs would be able to understand the incessant screeching that Sachiko was making. It only worsened when Sayu realized that Light was on the phone, and joined in with her mother's shrill shrieking, insistent that she be the first to talk to Light.

Light, for his part, held the phone away from his ear. It would not due if he were to go deaf before he could say anything of real substance to his family, after all. In the background, he could barely make out Mello's snickers at the overly-loud females, and wholeheartedly agreed that this turn of events was at least somewhat amusing.

After an undefinable amount of time had passed, the women began to calm down enough for Light to speak. "One at a time, guys. I can't understand you when you both talk at the same time."

The phone was then handed to Sayu, who had declared herself first. "Hiya, Light! How are you?"

The teen smiled softly at the voice of his little sister. "I'm fine, Sayu. But I don't have long, so let me say what I called to say, okay?"

"A-Alright. Go ahead, Light. This sounds important."

"It is." Light gave a resigned sigh, before continuing. "Listen, Sayu. You're my little sister, and I love you. However, there is a very strong possibility that I may never see you or our parents again. I need you to promise that you'll take care of them for me, okay?"

"N-Never see us again?" The little girl's voice quivered in confusion. "B-But Light-"

"Promise me, Sayu." Light's voice was hard, leaving no room for argument.

"I-I promise." Her voice was little more than a whisper at this point.

"Good." He breathed a tiny sigh of relief. "Thank you. Would you please put Mother on the phone?"

"O-Of course. I love you too, Light." Shuffling could then be heard as the phone changed hands.

"L-Light?" The weary female voice from earlier now sounded much more alive. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, Mom. I don't have much time, though. You and Dad know that I love you both, right?"

Sachiko's voice was rightfully puzzled as she responded. "Of course, and we love you, too. But Light, why are you talking as though you are never coming back? Surely, when the case is over-"

"No, Mom. I'm sorry, but I'm staying here once the case is solved. I can't come back, not ever. I'd tell you more, but the rest is confidential."

"I-I see." She sounded disappointed, and more than a little upset. "Will... Will you at least give us a call once in a while?"

His mother sounded on the verge of tears, not unlike himself, and Light simply did not have the heart to lie to her at this point. "I-I'll try. I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"We understand. Your father is at work right now, so I'll tell him you called when he returns. Do us proud, Light."

The last sentence proved too much for the teen, and he stuttered out a "Goodbye" before slamming the phone down and dissolving into tears, heedless of his audience.

Shockingly, it was Mello who rushed forward to embrace Light, comforting the brunet. Light returned the hug, crying against the blond's black-clad shoulder, and oblivious to the livid look L was giving the embracing duo.

Once Light's tears had tapered off, the day continued on quite uneventfully. When it came time to stop working for the day, Near was the first to leave. Mello waited for Light, and the two of them exited together, much to L's ire. The unlikely duo even ate dinner together, chatting about anything and everything, and a strange sort of friendship was born.

And all the while, Light couldn't suppress his smug smile. Though he would miss his family greatly, that much was true, their absence was just something that he had to get used to. And the unintentional feedback he had gained from L's reactions was invaluable: the detective not only believed he was already over him, but he also suspected that he and Mello were attracted to each other. And what was more, L was JEALOUS. It seemed that his plan was working perfectly.

And as he turned in for the night, snug in his bed, the teen took the time to muse one last time: after all was said and done, Light had to admit that today had undoubtedly been a good day.

* * *

It soon became a routine: Light would come to work, L would try to gain his favor, and Light would act as though nothing were out of the ordinary. After several days, the dark-haired detective eventually gave up, and things settled down between the two of them. Of course, Mello and Near still continued their training, as per L's directions. Days passed, soon becoming weeks, and before any of them knew it, more than a month had gone by. It was already late December, and Mello's fifteenth birthday on December 13th was a relatively quiet affair.

During all of this time, Light's and Mello's friendship had grown a great deal, and even Near had become accustomed to Light's presence. The three were virtually inseparable, and could often be found conversing together. And L had learned to control his jealousy as well. He had had to accept that he owned no part of Light, and that the teen was free to date whomever he pleased. Unbeknownst to L, Mello had eventually confided in Light that he harbored a crush on his younger albino friend. Light had already expected as much, and in return for the trust Mello had in him, he told the blond of his feelings for L. Mello, too, was unsurprised by this revelation.

On a more global scale, the duo of L and T had quickly become known worldwide, and there was no case the two of them could not solve. Their expertise was highly sought after, though they only took on the toughest, most unsolvable cases. But one case - solved, but not entirely resolved - still haunted Light: that of his own case, Kira. The evil being was still very much alive within Light, biding his time. The teen was not sure how much longer Kira would remain dormant, and as it would turn out, he didn't have long to wonder.

For it was on Christmas Eve that all Hell would finally break loose.

* * *

A/N: Just over two weeks since the last update. I hope that wasn't too long. Anywho, I really enjoyed writing this chapter for some reason. And even better – some actual PLOT in the next chapter! Rejoice, everyone, rejoice! Kira is returning! Or... IS HE? Muwahaha! Keep reading to find out! Oh, and if any of you are interested in B x Misa, please read Nani Hatake's fic "Bad Romance." She just updated it, and the new chapter is wonderful, so take a look if you have the time. I'm sure she would appreciate it if you did. On a final note, I've certainly appreciated all of your reviews, so keep 'em comin'! I love you all, and see you soon!


	13. Resurrection

***CHAPTER DEDICATION! This chapter is dedicated to two very special people. The first is my Lawli-Chan. Happy Anniversary, koibito! You've made the last year one of the most rewarding of my life, and I will be forever grateful. And the second person is Nani Hatake, who's wonderful advice has combated several bouts of my Writer's Block, including the small Block I had for this chapter. Go read her own fic, "Bad Romance!"***

****Special thanks to Nani Hatake, Dark Miko, icywarm, SaphirePhoenix, Sashocirrione, Dreamyin, panda-ryuu-chan for reviewing the last chapter. ****

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just borrow the characters for my personal amusement.

Warnings: **READ THIS!** It's the return of the question/answer section! As before, I won't be giving warnings this chapter. Instead, I am going to address a question that I have been asked through a review. I will answer it to the best of my ability, and explain my reasoning.

1. This is something that icywarm has asked me: **The summery says something about Light having to die as the only option. Is the Kira coming forth linked to that? Because I don't see that happening right now. **This is very easily answered, icywarm. Currently, my summary is these three lines: "There was only one plausible solution in Light's shattered mind. He knew exactly what he had to do. _He had to die." _These lines are not a foreshadowing of later chapters, but simply the last three lines of the very first chapter.

If anyone has anything else they wish for me to explain, do not hesitate to ask, okay? Okay. Now, back to the story!

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

_Flashback._

* * *

December 24th was unanimously decided to be a day off of work, with a popular vote of 4 to 1, outnumbering L to the point where the elder detective had no choice but to give in. That didn't stop L from working on his own, of course, but it did mean that the rest of the house was free to do as they pleased.

Light had chosen to catch up on his reading, spending much of his morning in the confines of his rooms, only leaving to get a bite to eat. Near had been sighted even less than Light, and it was presumed that the albino had secluded himself in his own rooms, doing whatever it was that Near usually did. He did not even leave for meals, and Mello was beginning to suspect that the younger teen simply consumed his toys for sustenance.

Mello himself had opted to spend his morning with Matt, who had been staying at the house for almost a week now. The red-head would be returning to Wammy's House today, and had just under two hours left before he had to leave, so Mello had suggested the two of them just laze about and talk until it came time for Matt to go.

The duo were currently lying side-by-side on the living room floor, staring up at the sparkling Christmas tree that now occupied a large portion of the room. The teens had already discussed such things as Mello's training; Mello wasn't allowed to say much on the subject, but he told his companion what he could. Matt's time at Wammy's also came up, but there wasn't much to say.

Matt's next question was one he'd wanted to ask Mello since arriving here, but he hadn't had the opportunity until now. The blond knew immediately by the shift in his red-headed friend's body language – from relaxed to nervous – that they were venturing into what the blond had deemed "dangerous territory."

"So... have you told him, yet?"

Mello really should have assumed that Matt would ask him that, but he found himself unready to talk about it. In a gesture that he hoped meant "Drop it," he turned his head slightly, allowing his long hair to shield his eyes as he answered. "...No."

His red-headed friend didn't seem to get the hint, and instead leaned up on an elbow, pushing his trademark orange goggles up to his forehead as he attempted to catch the blond's eyes. "Why not?"

The following silence was palpable, lasting long enough that Matt had begun to fear that his companion would not answer, before the blond finally replied, "I'm not ready."

The red-head nodded in apparent understanding. "Alright. But don't forget the promise, Mello."

"I won't."

No, Mello could never forget the promise he'd made Matt, the last thing the duo had said to each other before the blond had left Wammy's to begin his training.

*Flashback.*

_Whilst Mello had been tearing through his room like a bat out of Hell, rushing to gather his belongings, Matt had approached him and gathered him into a hug. The embrace was returned, and the red-head had then leaned forward to whisper in his ear, careful to keep his voice low so as not to be overheard by their elder audience._

_"Tell him how you feel, Mello. He deserves to know."_

_Mello's mouth opened and he was responding before he had even consciously decided on a response._

_"I will, Matt. I promise."_

*End Flashback.*

Sensing that this conversation was now over, the red-head stretched in a motion that was very cat-like, then hoisted himself to his feet. He held a hand out to his blond companion, and when Mello took the offered appendage, he too was pulled to his feet. The two teens then proceeded to leave the living room, now walking peaceably through the front hall, moving toward the stairs.

"What should we do now?" All traces of his previous discomfort had disappeared from Mello's voice as he attempted to clear the air of the awkwardness that had descended upon them.

"Well..." As they were passing a nearby window, the glaring white of the blanketing snow outside caught Matt's eye. "How about a snowball fight?"

The blond made a non-committal noise, and replied, "That seems a bit childish, Matty."

The red-head smiled fondly at the old nickname. "It does. However, Mello-Yellow-" Here, Mello cringed at the despised nickname, but said nothing of it. "-It won't be so childish once we convince Light and L to join in. Near, too, of course."

The blond paused, considering this thought and the possibilities such a prospect brought to mind. A slow smirk began to spread across his face. "Well, when you put it THAT way..." And before he could even finish his own sentence, the blond was scrambling up the stairs, presumably to "round up the troops." His red-headed friend stayed behind to wait, a smirk of his own adorning his face. The ease with which Mello had been manipulated was rather sad – all Matt had to do was mention Near's name and the blond's competitive side came forth. Despite his obvious feelings for the albino, Mello still hated to lose to him at anything.

Near...

Matt knew his blond friend had deep feelings for the albino, but would probably never confess, despite the promise he had made Matt. Mello was simply too proud to admit to their albino friend any sort of feelings beyond loathing, and Matt feared this pride would keep the two of them from ever having a normal relationship. And the red-head wished to avoid this scenario at all costs; his friends deserved to be happy, and he wanted to help them achieve said happiness.

And help them, Matt was surely going to do.

The red-head knew instinctively that Mello would not keep his promise, so he had decided before he even came here that he would give his friends a little... push. The smirk that was still prevalent on his face morphed from satisfied into positively devious as he fingered the tiny object in his pocket, before pulling it out and swiftly setting the trap that would hopefully bring Mello and Near together at last.

He barely had everything in place when the first set of footsteps could be heard trudging down the stairs. The person turned out to be Near, carrying a plush rabbit by the ear and looking mildly irritated. He said nothing to Matt as he passed him in the hall, moving to wait for the rest of the group by the front door. The next was Light, who appeared to have just woken up – Mello had probably kicked him out of bed, but as Light was quite used to such treatment from the obnoxious blond, it didn't even phase him. The last was L, accompanied by Mello. In contrast to his usually stoic facade, the dark-haired detective was positively glowering. It seemed as though he was forced on this excursion, though what means Mello had used to do so would remain unknown.

The group proceeded to don warm winter clothing as Matt split them up into teams. As there was an odd number of players present, the red-head volunteered to be the referee. He then appointed Light and Mello to one team, while L and Near were on the other. Once they were all in agreement, the group filed outside to start the fight.

The two teams split up and each pair claimed a different half of the vast yard. Light and Mello immediately began the construction of a defensive structure, and with their lack of creativity, it was basically a pile of snow large enough for them to hide behind. A quick glance told Light that L's team was doing the same, and were thus distracted when the brunet launched his first projectile.

"GAH!"

'Direct hit,' thought Light. L had been the recipient of Light's snowball, and the older man was glaring back at him from beneath his drooping bangs as the snow began to melt in his hair. As it were, the self-satisfied brunet barely had time to duck as a flurry of snowballs came flying his way.

The war was officially on.

Matt proved to be an impartial referee, tossing a random snowball here and there, and getting himself pelted in return. Near was reluctant at first, but the first hit from Mello lit the fire in his eyes, and he was soon giving it just as good as he got. L's surly attitude had all but disappeared, replaced by a wide, adorable grin as he dodged Light's snowballs and threw his own at the brunet. Light himself was enjoying this game, having been knocked into full wakefulness at the shock of a snowball catching him just above the collar bones. His blond teammate was shouting obscene battle cries and attacking anything that moved with snow, Light included.

All in all, they were having fun.

Bur alas, Matt's two hours were up, and it was time for him to go. The fight was put on pause so that the red-head could retrieve his belongings and say goodbye to the group. As much as he wanted to stay longer, Matt knew that leaving now was the best thing to do, especially before Mello and Near realized what he had done. There was a much lower chance of Mello pulling a gun on him that way.

With that said, the red-head was herded into the waiting car and driven away, waving to the group until the car was out of sight. His departure had a sobering effect on the older men, and they decided to call it quits, tromping through the snow back to the house. Mello and Near continued on for a while, but after multiple hits and as the shadows in the yard began to stretch, signifying late afternoon, they declared this fight a tie.

As they were moving across the snowy yard to the house, the door opened and Light appeared. "I made you both hot chocolate! Come and get it!"

Their ambling gaits became a run as they raced to the door. Light had already slipped back inside by the time they made it into the hall, their winter gear discarded and haphazardly flung every which way. The older teen was waiting in the kitchen when the younger duo skidded to a halt in the entryway, a devilish smirk playing on his handsome face. Mello instinctively knew that he was in trouble, and this was confirmed as the brunet's eyes lifted to regard something above their heads. The blond slowly followed his gaze and gulped at the sight that met him.

Mistletoe.

It hadn't been there before, but it certainly was now. Which meant... Matt. It had to be. He must have hung it right before he left, or else someone would have noticed it sooner. Light had to have spied it, immediately figured out Matt's plot, and decided to aid the red-head. Oh, Matt would wish for death once Mello got his hands on him...

"Ahem. I believe there is a tradition to follow, you two."

Light's smug words brought the blond out of his reverie, and he chanced a glance down at his albino friend. Near looked incredibly embarrassed, his face tinted a fetching shade of pink and a lock of snowy hair wrung around a trembling finger. It was obvious that the younger teen was nervous, and that caused Mello to wonder...

Did Near want this, too?

If he did and Mello kissed him, then they could possibly discuss a relationship that didn't revolve around hatred and rivalry. But if he kissed Near and the albino was adverse to it, he could blow any chance of ever getting to be with Near.

Decisions, decisions... To kiss or not to kiss... Start a relationship or end it before it even began...

...Oh, screw it.

Mello fancied himself a man of action, the kind who shoots first and asks questions later. Why should this be an exception? So, without further thought, the blond fisted his hands in the front of Near's white shirt and hauled him in for a quick kiss. The younger teen had time to do little more than blink before Mello pushed him away to scurry up the stairs, presumably to seclude himself in the confines of his rooms. This left Near still standing under the mistletoe alone, now more bewildered than embarrassed. Light hadn't moved from his spot in the kitchen, wholly amused by the recent events.

"Was that your first kiss, Near?"

The younger teen gave a slight nod in response. Light had suspected as much.

"Do you like Mello?"

Near shuffled in place, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, an uncertain look overcoming his face. "...I believe that I do."

Light made an understanding noise. "Then perhaps you should tell him. I don't know if you noticed, but he has feelings for you."

Near's eyes snapped up to meet the brunet's. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely. So take these-" At this, Light lifted two steaming mugs of hot chocolate from the counter and pressed them into Near's hands. "-upstairs as a peace offering. Perhaps you two can talk while drinking them, hmm?"

The albino gave him a grateful look and a nod, then thanked him as he turned to do as instructed. Light watched him go, and his eyes widened as L meandered through the doorway a moment later, looking quite bored. "Where is Near taking that hot chocolate to?"

Light made thoughtful noise. "To Mello, I presume."

"Ah, yes. I passed Mello on the stairs. He seemed in a bit of a hurry." The dark-haired detective stuffed his hands into his endless pockets and shuffled his bare feet. "Why do you suppose that is?"

The brunet gave a non-committal shrug and moved to the sink, preparing to wash the dishes. "He kissed Near. I assume he was embarrassed, and needed to get away."

Because Light's back was to L, he missed the myriad of emotions that played across the pale face in that instant: curiosity, surprise, and even envy. "I had thought there was more there than just the hostile rival he portrayed. Mello must have had these feelings for some time. But why did he only show his affection now, and not sooner?"

L's voice was barely distinguishable above the noise of the running water and the clatter of the dishes, but the brunet understood what was being asked, and jerked a thumb adorned with soap bubbles over his shoulder in the general direction of the mischievous little plant. "It was the mistletoe."

Yet again, because Light's back was to him, he missed the look that crossed L's face as he lifted his eyes to the mistletoe above his head; this time, it was a mixture of dawning comprehension and a hint of something undefinable. "...I see. And how did the mistletoe get there? I do not recall it ever being there before."

The brunet finished up the dishes and switched the water off, plunging the room into silence. He snagged a dishcloth to dry his wet hands as he faced L, leaning back against the counter casually. "It was Matt."

A thin black eyebrow rose at this. "You seem quite certain of that, Light."

Light set the towel down, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am. He was the only one who had the opportunity and the motive. He had to have done it before the snowball fight, which was basically the only time Mello wasn't glued to his side, since he was upstairs to gather the rest of us. This left Matt alone downstairs. As for the motive, well... he knew how Mello felt for Near, and wanted to help."

"Very astute." The older detective's usual slouch became more pronounced. "However, how do we know that Near did not set the trap for Mello? Or that you yourself did not do it?"

"Easy. Near is not brave enough to attempt something like this, especially when he believed Mello to despise him. And as for me? I'm not the type of person to try something like this. Mello threatens me enough with death as it is; had I set this trap, those threats surely would have become reality." His tone was joking, but Light knew that Mello was not to be trifled with where his feelings for Near were concerned.

The dark-haired detective extracted a hand from his pocket and pressed the thumb against his slightly parted lips, speaking around it. "Indeed. And I suppose the snowball fight was..."

"...A distraction," Light finished. "It was an easy way to hurry all of us outside, and to keep us busy long enough for him to leave, ensuring that the mistletoe wouldn't be found until it was too late. It was by sheer chance that it was I who discovered it, and just in time to help with his little plot."

"Impressive. I had no idea Matt was this clever."

"Mhmm." The brunet pushed himself off of the counter. "Well, I'm going to go take a nap." As he moved to pass L, a pale hand shot out to grasp his wrist, pulling him back and spinning him to face the (suddenly very close) detective.

"Wait."

Light gently freed his hand from the iron grip and gave his companion an exasperated look. "Yes?"

"...We are under the mistletoe." The detective gave him an expectant look, and Light froze.

A second later, just as Mello and L had done, he tilted his back to look over his head. The mistletoe was still there, and he glared at the plant that had amused him so earlier. Now, it mocked him in his negligence – though he had just told L it was there, he had not thought about the consequences that would be caused by his passing under it; nor had he suspected that L would ever use it against him, as the detective seemed to have lost interest in pursuing... whatever it was he was pursuing with Light.

Apparently, he had been wrong. L was still looking expectant, and Light seethed in anger. How dare he reject him, then turn around and ask something like this from Light? It was completely unfair, and as such, the brunet settled on an indifferent response.

"Should I care, L?"

Ouch. The detective winced at that; he knew he deserved it, of course, but it still hurt. Against his better judgment, and with the sting of Light's harsh words still fresh, he decided to press his luck. "It is tradition."

The brunet scoffed, and angry scowl marring his handsome features. "Yeah? Well, I'm breaking tradition." And with that, he turned on his heel and proceeded to stalk away.

...Or, he tried to.

As he was in progress of retreating, that same pale hand clamped against his wrist once more, pulling him back against L's chest. A short scuffle commenced as Light yanked on the confining hand; it didn't budge, and a second arm came up to circle his middle from behind, further restraining him. Despite their unyielding grip, the hands on him were gentle, and Light's notice of this caused the fight in him to die. He paused in his struggle to escape, tense against L behind him and the arms surrounding him.

"...What do you want, L?"

The arms dropped, and though Light was now free to go, he remained in place. "I thought that would have been quite obvious at this point, Light."

"Nothing is ever obvious when it comes to you."

The older detective nodded his agreement, though Light couldn't see it. "Fair enough. I want you to kiss me, Light."

The teen's body visibly tensed further, though he still managed to turn and face his older companion, searching his endless onyx eyes for possible untruths. "Why? After you rejected me, hurt me like that, why now?"

"I..." For the first time, L was unsure. Why DID he want to kiss Light? As an experiment? Because he was jealous of Mello and Near? Or was it... "...I made a mistake. And now, I wish to correct it."

A mistake? So, this was L's way of apologizing, of saying that they should have done this weeks ago, on L's birthday. Light's gaze softened at this. L clearly regretted how he had treated the brunet, if the detective's body language was anything to go by. L was ashamed of his actions, and Light mentally forgave him. Without his conscious consent, a hand sought out the detective's chin, tilting his head upward to catch his eyes.

L was taken by complete surprise when a hand coiled under his chin, and his gaze was suddenly caught by the molten caramel orbs of his partner, the eyes filled to the brim with raw emotion. This look... it was identical to the way Light had looked at him on his birthday, as though he were someone precious, someone desirable...

…Someone loved.

And he was, wasn't he? He had refused to believe it before, lied to himself to escape the truth, but there was no getting around it when the evidence was staring you in the face, giving you a look of pure desire.

Light loved him, and he had been a fool to think otherwise.

L could feel tears prick the corners of his eyes. This was the second time in recent memory that he had cried in front of Light, and for almost the same reason. The thought made him want to chuckle, and he would have, had Light not chosen that moment to step forward and capture his lips in a searing kiss-

L's train of thought promptly derailed.

Kissing L was unlike anything Light had experienced. Sure, he had kissed Misa once as Kira, but that had been a mistake and didn't even hold a candle to this one. Misa was too enthusiastic, insistent in her kissing and tasting much too artificial. But L... L was timid and soft and so very real in his arms as he slid them around the pliant detective to pull him closer. At first, L's lack of response made Light fear that he had been wrong, that L didn't want this, but as bony arms encircled his neck and a lithe body moved to press against his more muscular frame, the fear dissipated.

L tilted his head to give the brunet better access, allowing Light to lead him. Though he had no one to compare it to - this was his first kiss, after all - he could tell that kissing Light was something special. It was far more pleasurable than he had once believed to have another mouth moving against his own, and said motions sent a shiver down his spine, causing his back to arch. This in turn served to press him tighter to Light, and the brunet let out an appreciative moan against L's mouth.

Light didn't mean to make such a noise, honestly. But when L arched into him in a way that was so deliciously perfect, he couldn't help it. Rather than feel embarrassed, though, he decided that he would make the detective emit a similar noise in retaliation. He gave L's bottom lip a playful nip, which caused the older man's soft lips to part in a stifled gasp. This wasn't good enough, so Light seized the opportunity presented to him, and allowed the tip of tongue to trace the space between L's lips. This had the desired effect, as the detective responded with a low groan.

L was momentarily stunned at the touch of Light's tongue, but quickly got over his trepidation as it pressed into his mouth, searching. It was strange at first, but the strangeness soon became pleasure as the muscle seemed to locate hidden places in his mouth that he didn't know existed, their discovery causing his blood to boil with unfamiliar arousal and foreign sensations to erupt throughout his body. This felt... there was no word for it, really. And as he tentatively pressed his own tongue against Light's, experimentally, he dimly became aware that he was moving, being propelled backwards by a pair of hands on his hips. His back met with the edge of the counter, forcing it to arch again, and the hands tightened against him.

Once L was backed into the counter, Light plastered himself to the detective like glue, kissing him fiercely as all manner of lustful noises bubbled forth from both of them, unbidden. The hands at his neck were moving, snagging in his auburn hair to pull him closer, and L was now kissing him back just as passionately, their tongues tangling together in the warm confines of L's mouth. Light's lungs burned with the need to breathe, but he didn't want this to end.

It was L who pulled away, flushed, to take in large gulps of air in an effort to refill his lungs. Light was not deterred, for he proceeded to press his face against L's neck and the exposed part of his shoulder, lavishing the skin with lips and teeth and tongue. This only made it harder for the older detective to breathe, especially when sensitive areas were discovered and attacked. A low hiss escaped from between his teeth as a particularly sweet spot was given a sharp nip, surely leaving a mark in it's wake. Light only stopped when he was sure L was thoroughly love-bitten.

Their motions slowed to a stop, Light's face still pressed to L's neck, but now unmoving. They held each other in a tight embrace, simply basking in the feel of their bodies pressed together as they sought to regulate their erratic breathing and calm their pounding heartbeats. Light managed to catch his breath first, his voice muffled in the crook of the older detective's neck.

"L?"

One of the hands on his hips fell away, but the detective thought nothing of it. "Yes, Light?"

"I need you to tell me something." The other hand now left his hip, shifting back and up, sliding under the thin fabric of his sweater to trace the ridges of his spine. Damn, that felt good.

The hand against his back was distracting him, so much so that he almost forgot to respond, his mind hazy with desire. "What- What is it?"

There suddenly came an odd sound behind him, but when L realized what it was, it was already too late. A knife was abruptly pressed to the tender skin of his throat, very near to where the love-bites still resided. His mind instantly cleared, and though a feeling of dread now filled him, the detective didn't attempt to struggle – the knife was digging into him painfully, almost drawing blood, and the hand at his back held him firmly, preventing escape. And when L's eyes lifted to meet the ones above him, it was not the warm, hazel eyes he was so used to seeing-

"Tell me what you did with my Death Note."

-Instead, the gaze was tinted crimson and filled with malicious intent.

Kira had returned.

* * *

A/N: Le sigh! My longest chapter yet, though whether it is the best or not is up to you! Reviews are much appreciated, and may even make me write faster! *Wink, wink.* They are not required, though, as I already have a due date for the next chapter – and yes, it does include Kira goodness! Let's see if I can make it, yes?


	14. Malice

***CHAPTER DEDICATION! This chapter is dedicated to Nani Hatake. Happy Anniversary, Love! And thank you for being my friend for the last year – I wouldn't have made it this far in the story without you! Go read her own fic, "Bad Romance!"***

****Special thanks to Akai Nara, Nani Hatake, Power4Puppies, icywarm, Vega Nightshade, panda-ryuu-chan, Rein Mikazuki, and QueenLucy 15 for reviewing the last chapter. ****

Disclaimer: Too tired to write it. It's in the first chapter, if you care to look.

Warnings: This is the chapter where the violence really starts, so... if you aren't okay with that, don't read. Other than that, there's also language, L's real name – soon, but not yet - and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x Near).

**READ THIS: **It has come to my attention through a flame (you know who you are) that this story is not very believable. Well, there are three reasons for this- **A.** This is my very first fic - as was mentioned in Chapter 1 - and no matter how much I want it to be, it is not going to be perfect. I'm a beginner, so go easy on me, please. **B.** I am NOT a real author. I do this for fun, and people who flame me ruin the fun. Constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not. **And C.** This fic is obviously AU, as is any fic that does not follow the original storyline, so of course it's not going to be entirely believable.

My wonderful readers, please note that the one flame mentioned above caused me to almost quit this story. If you don't like this story, please, don't read it. If you can't say something nice or constructive, please, don't say anything at all. And if you are going to foolishly mention in your review that you "just scrolled over it [parts of the chapter] because it wasn't believeable," and had the nerve to flame me when you didn't even read it all, then you are politely asked to please write no further reviews for this story. Thank you, and that's all I have to say.

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

* * *

Mello honestly didn't know whether to scream or cry. Scream because he was in a situation that was out of his control, and control was something the blond was unused to relinquishing. Cry because even though the lack of control was enraging him, he had finally, FINALLY kissed Near, and he couldn't be more relieved.

In the end, he settled on a sigh. What had happened downstairs... it wasn't how he had imagined his first kiss with Near would be, had the two of them ever actually made it that far. But Matt... Matt and his mistletoe had changed all that. It hadn't been romantic, or private, or even mutual, but...

But it was still more than Mello had ever hoped for, and he owed Matt a major debt of gratitude.

After he got a little payback on the conniving red-head, of course. And revenge would, indeed, be sweet. Perhaps he would pull the same trick on Matt and Linda... Or maybe, he would ban Matt from coming to visit the mansion for an undetermined amount of time... Or maybe-

_Knock, knock._

All thoughts of retaliation came to a screeching halt at the quiet tapping on his door. It was Light – it had to be – for it would be just so typical of the brunet to come tease him about what had transpired downstairs. An ugly sneer settled on his face as Mello rose from the bed and strode to the door, intending to confront his older friend. He jerked the door open, a witty remark already forming, but the words died on his lips at the revelation of his visitor.

Near.

The sneer slowly melted to be replaced with a look of utter confusion. He had not expected Near to ever come knocking on his door. Hell, he half expected the albino to never wish to speak to him again, after the incident downstairs.

"May I come in?" The words were spoken with so little emotion that Mello briefly considered simply slamming the door in the younger boy's perfectly porcelain face, but the aroma of warm chocolate suddenly permeated the air – it was coming from those mugs, he mused – and he found himself moving to let Near in, his body acting without his conscious permission.

"Thank you." The younger boy padded silently across his bedroom floor, stopping at his bed. Carefully, trying hard not to spill the hot chocolate, Near took a seat on the edge of the bed and turned his unreadable gaze on Mello. The blond assumed the look he was being given was one of expectation, and move to join his younger companion on the bed. Immediately, a warm mug was pressed into his hands, the other set on the nearby nightstand, and Mello thankfully took a sip. He couldn't talk while drinking, after all-

"We need to talk."

-Dammit.

Mello lowered his mug as well as his gaze, avoiding the albino's eyes at all costs. "About what, Near?"

A sigh was his response. Near knew exactly what was happening here – Mello was using an avoidance tactic coupled with feigning ignorance to the situation. Well, that just wouldn't do, now would it?

"You know what, Mello. And I'd appreciate it if you would look at me while I am speaking to you."

An answering sigh was heard from the blond, the sound born of silent defeat. As he turned to regard his younger friend, he received the shock of his life when he found said friend's face mere inches from his own, and rapidly moving closer. Before he could protest, he found his mouth pressed against Near's for the second time that day.

Sneaky bastard.

Mello knew he had been tricked, but he could honestly care less. Near was kissing him again – a shy, hesitant kiss that was no more than a soft press of lips – and nothing else mattered. His hands slackened and the mug dropped to the floor, spilling its contents across the carpet. It went unnoticed by both of them as they continued to innocently kiss.

However, the loud crash downstairs that was followed by a muffled howl of pain were a little harder to ignore.

The unexpected noises caused the duo to spring apart, startled. "What the Hell was that?"

The little albino's eyes sought Mello's, and the blond could easily see the worry that Near was trying valiantly to conceal. "It sounded like L."

Mello gave a nod of agreement. "Yeah, I think so, too. I'll go check it out." As a precaution, the blond pulled from beneath his mattress his prized possession – his Beretta 92FS, once owned by his deceased father. Other than the rosary around his neck – a gift from his mother, also dead – this gun was the only physical reminder he had of his parents.

Near eyed the weapon warily, but decided that he really shouldn't have been surprised. Mello had always seemed like the type of person to pull a gun on someone he didn't like, and he supposed those suspicions were now proven true.

The blond in question abruptly stood – gun in hand – and completely disregarded the pool of hot chocolate as he stepped though it, trailing wet footprints in his wake as he moved to the door. "Stay here."

And with those parting words, Mello had slipped though the door and was gone, leaving Near alone in the room to await his return.

* * *

"Tell me what you did with my Death Note."

L remained silent, trembling under the cold gaze he was receiving from those crimson eyes. Nothing of Light remained in them, not now that Kira had fully taken over, and L felt his heart clench at the possibility of never seeing his Light again.

A thought which terrified him far more than actually being killed by Kira ever could.

The knife pressed tighter to his throat at that moment, and L's attention was drawn back to Kira. A vicious sneer was now marring the once-beautiful features, contorting his face into something grotesque and ugly.

"I _said_, tell me what you did with my Death Note, L."

The detective leveled Kira with a clueless stare. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

The knife was given a sharp jerk against his throat, and the detective hissed as the skin gave way under the force of the steel blade, creating a narrow incision. A thin trail of warm liquid trickled forth from the cut, dripping down to stain the starched white collar of his trademark sweater a brilliant crimson.

"Don't give me that bullshit! I want the Notebook, and you WILL give it to me!"

Several pops and cracks were heard as L rose to his full height, perfectly even with Kira's, and a sneer of his own spread over his lips. "I will NEVER tell you, Kira. Kill me if you must, but your filthy hands will never again touch the Death Note."

A resounding smack echoed throughout the kitchen. Kira's patience had worn thin, and he had struck L across the face, leaving a hand-shaped imprint on the detective's alabaster cheek. As a side-effect - unwanted for L, but beneficial to Kira - the power of the blow had caused the detective's head to whip to one side, which in turn had made the knife slide against the tender flesh of his throat. The result was the lengthening of the cut and more warm, red liquid began to spill down his neck.

L showed no outward reaction to either the slap – the mark was now swelling - or the increased length of the cut, and the brunet was less than satisfied. "You and your damned pride. We shall have to rid you of that, hmm?"

As L turned his injured face back to regard the brunet, onyx eyes filled with absolute loathing and utter defiance, Kira realized that this wouldn't be as easy as he assumed. The detective was stubborn, and would die before he ever revealed the location of the Death Note. He would have to play dirty.

'I will break you, L.' Kira thought, as he smirked to himself. 'One way... or another. And I think I know how...'

The brunet suddenly took a step closer, molding his body against that of the lithe detective. L's trembling, which had all but stopped, was renewed tenfold at this unexpected action. He received another shock as a warm mouth pressed to his earlobe, the voice emitting from those soft lips a low pur, honeyed and seductive.

"I'll bet you're wondering how I escaped, aren't you L. It was all too easy, really. The more Light fell for you, the more he let his guard down, and the stronger I became. And when he kissed you-" Here, the tip of Kira's tongue darted out to trace the shell of L's ear, drawing forth a delicious shudder from the detective. "-he finally dropped his guard enough for me to take complete control. His love for you was ultimately his biggest downfall."

Rather than have the desired effect – breaking L's spirit to the point of no repair – Kira's words did just the opposite. An enraged L disregarded the knife at his neck as he brought a bare foot up to place a swift kick to the center of Kira's abdomen. The unprepared brunet was unable to block it, and thus flew backwards with the sudden action, subconsciously dropping the knife as he went and eventually crashing into a nearby counter adjacent to the sink. The dish strainer behind him overbalanced, sending its contents smashing to the floor, shards of porcelain and glass skidding across the linoleum.

While Kira was winded and distracted, L dropped into a crouch and grasped one of the jagged porcelain shards, concealing it in a pocket as he stood.

The brunet quickly recovered, and he was furious. He, too, snatched up a piece of a broken dish, and charged the detective with an angry growl, his deranged eyes flashing with his fury. It was plain for the detective to see that Kira no longer cared about the location of the Notebook. Now, all the brunet wanted was to end L's life.

As Kira neared, he quickly brought the shard up in a slicing motion, managing to catch the side of L's arm. The jagged edge of the porcelain cut straight through the thin fabric of the detective's sweater, easily embedding itself deep into the soft flesh of his right forearm. Try as he might to remain silent, the pain was just too great and a scream of pain escaped.

Kira seemed to revel in the sound, and it spurred him on. He lunged for the butcher block directly behind L, the source of his original knife. It was obvious that L hadn't noticed it there, and it was too late for him to do anything about it as another knife was withdrawn. Unlike the previous one, which was only used to threaten, this one had a different purpose - to kill.

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion for L. The knife held by Kira was arcing toward him, aiming for his chest. He knew he was about to die, and he would be damned if he didn't take Kira with him. Carefully, he slipped the piece of the broken plate from his pocket, holding it steadily as he made a stabbing motion toward the brunet's jugular. Kira's eyes widened in panic as he realized what was happening, but it was already too late to stop it. Both of them were going to die.

"What the Hell is going on here!"

All movement suddenly paused at the sound of Mello's disbelieving voice, the knife inches from L's heart and the porcelain shard a hairsbreadth away from Kira's jugular. L thanked every God he knew for Mello's sense of timing, and uncanny ability to interrupt moments between Light and himself.

"I asked you both a question, dammit! What the Hell is going on here!" The gun in Mello's hand, unnoticed by the older duo until now, rose to point at Kira. "Answer me!"

The brunet quickly thought up a plan. Though he had been about to plunge the knife into L's heart, a gun would be much more effective at ending the annoying detective's life. All it would take was a bit of good acting.

"Thank God you came!" The knife clattered to the floor as Kira's grip on the handle slackened. The brunet stepped away from L and toward the blond, a relieved look upon his face. "It's L! He's gone mad! He tried kill me, Mello!"

The gun was still pointed at Kira as the blond gave him an incredulous look. "Why would he do that?"

Tears threatened to fall as Kira moved even closer to Mello. "I don't know! He's crazy, Mello! I was just defending myself!"

The blond nodded in agreement, moving the gun to point at L, instead. "Yes, he has been acting strange, lately..."

"Yes!" Kira agreed. "He's been acting strange! Kill him before he kills me!"

"I wasn't finished. L HAS been acting strange, lately... but not as strange as YOU'VE been acting, Light." The gun swiveled to point at Kira once again. "L would never try to kill you, so that means you're lying."

The brunet's look of relief fell into a mask of indifference, his voice evening into a deadly calm. "Why would I lie, Mello?"

The blond gave a half-shrug, his own sign of indifference. "You tell me, Light."

"You really want to know?" Kira turned to look at the detective behind him. The older man was still clutching the porcelain shard, and had been silently observing the exchange between Mello and Kira – both of whom had been completely ignoring his presence. This suited L just fine, as the detective had been using their distraction to devise a way out of this situation. That had changed, however, as their attention was now on him, and he could no longer go unnoticed. "Then ask your precious L. He knows what I am, and has been hiding this knowledge from you since the day you met me."

Mello shot the detective a questioning look. "What's he talking about, L?"

The older man tightened his hold on the piece of broken plate. "That's not Light Yagami anymore."

"Not Light?" The inquisitive gaze of the blond moved back to Kira, seizing him up. "Who is he, then?"

L had hoped to never have to confess this secret to Mello, but he had no choice now. "...He is Kira."

Mello's eyes widened as his icy blue orbs snapped up to meet the wicked crimson gaze of Kira. The brunet was smirking back at him, all the confirmation Mello needed to realize that L was being truthful. "K-Kira? But I thought... Kyosuke Higuchi..."

Kira interrupted the blond's rambling with a wave of his hand. "A mere pawn. He was caught and executed under the name of Kira, but he was only an imitator. I am, and have always been, the original Kira. And your precious L has known this all along, but kept it from you. He's just as much of a liar as I am, Mello."

"I don't care." Yes, the blond knew that L had been lying to him, that the detective had secrets, but harboring Kira? That was pushing it just a bit. Light had obviously not been Kira when Mello had met him – such a difference in personality was far too obvious. Kira and Light acted completely dissimilar, as though they were two separate people sharing the same body – a split personality, perhaps? It made sense. In order for L to allow such a potentially dangerous man around his two successors, the older detective must have been fairly certain that Kira would not reemerge. It was just their bad luck that L had been wrong.

"You don't care that he's been feeding you lies this entire time?" Kira advanced a step closer to Mello, his crimson gaze trained on the gun that was pointed at his person. "But doesn't that make you wonder what ELSE he's lied to you about?"

Mello's own eyes narrowed, the corners of his lips turning up in a sneer. "Your mind-games won't work on me, Kira. L may be a liar, but you're a murderer, and I WILL shoot you if you come any closer!"

Kira froze, but kept his cool demeanor. "You won't shoot me, Mello. In fact, even if you had it in you to actually do so, you still couldn't shoot me."

A blond eyebrow rose in question. "Oh? And what makes you think that?"

A knowing smirk began to crawl across the brunet's face. "Because you can't shoot a gun while the safety is on."

There came a shout of alarm from behind Kira – L had been trying to warn the blond, to tell him not to fall for the trap – but it was already too late. Mello's eyes darted to the safety – which was off – but the momentary distraction was all Kira needed. He swiftly kneed the blond in the gut, causing Mello to drop the gun – straight into Kira's waiting hands. The blond clutched his injured stomach and cursed in German, but grew silent as the brunet pressed the barrel of the gun to Mello's forehead. "That was too easy."

The blond sent Kira an icy glare through the curtain of his hair, but it did little to phase the brunet. Now that he had the gun, neither L nor Mello were a threat to him. He took a step back, leveling the gun at L instead.

While Kira had been preoccupied with Mello, the detective had been slowly creeping up on Kira, the porcelain shard raised and poised to kill. "Drop it, detective."

If looks could kill – and L so wished that they could – then the scathing look he sent Kira as the shard slipped from his slackened hand and clattered to the linoleum would have made the brunet drop dead.

"Good boy. Now you-" Kira motioned to the injured Mello with the raised gun. "-Go join your friend."

The blond begrudgingly did as he was told, moving to stand next to L, a hand still pressed to his injured midsection.

"Wonderful. Now, L, I shall give you one last chance to answer my question from earlier." The gun moved to point at L, aiming in the vicinity of the detective's chest. "What did you do with my Death Note?"

L's face rose, his chin jutting out in defiance. "Shoot me, Kira, and you'll never know."

Kira considered this. "You know... I think you're right. I've been going about this the wrong way. I can't shoot you yet, because you may be the only person in the world who knows where my Death Note is located. Mello, on the other hand-" The gun pivoted to point at the blond, and a deafening shot rang out. "-Is very much expendable."

Twin cries split the air, then - one of pain, the other of terror. The blond slumped to the floor, a hand grasping at his bleeding shoulder, crimson liquid leaking from between his fingers. L dropped to his knees beside Mello, a hand of his own darting out to help stem the copious flow of blood.

Kira surveyed all of this with an amused air. He hadn't shot the blond in a lethal area, but he would need medical attention, eventually.

"Don't move your hand, Mello. Just keep applying pressure to your shoulder, and you'll be fine." When L was satisfied that the blond was coherent enough to follow instructions – and that he would keep doing so – he pulled his own hand back, and stood to confront Kira. "Why did you do that? He's just a boy!"

Kira shrugged. "You wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know."

"So you shot him, just because I refused to cooperate? That's low, even for you, Kira." L's fists clenched in sheer rage at Kira's apparent lack of regard for the injured Mello.

"It may be low, but I will continue to shoot everyone close to you, until you tell me where the Death Note is. Starting with him." The hand holding the gun suddenly pivoted to point toward the open door, in which Near was standing, petrified. He had heard the gunshot, and fearing for Mello's well-being, had quietly crept downstairs to investigate.

He was not, however, prepared for the sight of a half-conscious Mello clutching a wounded shoulder, an L with a thin, bloody slit encircling his neck and a piece of broken cookery embedded in his right arm, and a Light - whom L had just called Kira - brandishing the same gun Mello had been carrying when he'd left the bedroom. "You're Kira. I always suspected there was something you were hiding, and now I know what it is."

The brunet's lips curled into a wicked sneer. "You always were the more intelligent of L's successors, Near. You're quite right. I'm Kira, now. And Light is gone for good."

"I see." The albino's eyes lingered on the injuries that L and Mello had received – Mello's was most certainly a gunshot wound, the source of the sound he'd heard earlier. The incision around L's neck – probably caused by one of the many shards of porcelain that littered the kitchen floor, or one of the shining steel knives also scattered about, had thankfully stopped bleeding some time ago. The injury to the detective's arm, however – a result of the jagged piece of cookery still protruding from his flesh - was still sluggishly bleeding, staining the white sweater sleeve a deep crimson. "And you injured them, didn't you?"

"Very astute." The sneer widened. "Yes, I did that. And now, I grow weary of your voice. You-" Kira motioned the gun toward Near. "-Go join L and your little boyfriend. I'll give you just a few moments to say goodbye to them, before I kill the lot of you."

The albino obediently did as he was told, gingerly stepping around the sharp debris to kneel at Mello's side. The blond gave him a weak smile, then whispered a few quiet words that Kira could not hear. Near nodded in response, then meandered to his feet to stand beside L.

"All done saying your goodbyes? Good. Now, whom shall I kill first...?" The gun wandered toward L, the barrel level with his forehead. "You? You've been a constant thorn in my side since Day 1, and I would like nothing more than to kill you. Although..." The gun swiveled to point at Near. "I need him alive, but you – like Mello – are expendable. Speaking of which..." The gun moved once more, finally settling on Mello. "He's already injured. Perhaps I should end his suffering. Unless one of you two would like to volunteer to take his place...?"

With barely any hesitation, L stepped forward. "Kill me, instead. Promise me first that you'll spare the boys, and I'll gladly take their place."

The brunet chuckled low in his throat. "Nice try, but as I've been saying all along, you are the only one who knows the location of my Notebook."

"He's not the only one."

The low, gruff voice came from the shadows on Kira's left, a voice that only L and Kira could hear, belonging to a being that only L and Kira could see. The brunet's eyes positively glowed in triumph as the Shinigami floated toward them, a smile permanently etched onto the winged being's grotesque face. Victory was all but a certainty, now.

"Hello, Ryuk. It's been a while."

* * *

A/N: I MADE MY DEADLINE! YAY! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that I was successful in portraying Kira's character. Tell me how I did, okay? We're winding down to the last few chapters, people – two or three, tops. I hope I end it well!


	15. Death

***CHAPTER DEDICATION! This chapter is dedicated to Nani Hatake, who once again helped me to conquer a bout of Writer's Block. Her own fic, "Bad Romance," is ending soon, so go read it!***

****Special thanks to Nani Hatake, rachelshoemaker, Power4Puppies, icywarm, Josefin Tonks, Vega Nightshade, Emela, and Rein Mikazuki for reviewing the last chapter. ****

Disclaimer: Too tired to write it. It's in the first chapter, if you care to look.

Warnings: Violence, language, L's real name – in the next chapter - and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x Near).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

_Flashback._

* * *

"Hello, Ryuk. It's been a while."

If possible, the creature's abnormally large grin widened even further at this. "Likewise, Light-o."

Kira's body stiffened in anger at the name, and a red-tinged eye briefly darted toward Ryuk, a menacing glare in its depths. "Don't ever call me that again. It's Kira, now."

The glare was horribly ineffective against the grinning Shinigami, who only cackled at the irritated Kira. "Whatever you say, Light-o."

Kira growled at the continued use of the name, but this, too, did little to faze Ryuk. "Why do I put up with you? You're insufferable."

Again, a raspy chuckle was heard. "Because you don't have a choice, Light-o."

Kira gave an exasperated sigh at this, then returned his full attention to his hostages. Near was staring at him, curious, though the brunet suspected that the younger boy had already figured out what was going on. Mello, though barely conscious, was looking absolutely bewildered. And L... he was shooting Ryuk a positively murderous glare.

"Is there a problem, detective? You don't seem particularly happy at the presence of Ryuk..."

The dark-haired detective gave a sharp jerk of his head, wincing at the pressure the movement put on his injured neck. "No. There's no problem."

"Are you sure?" The brunet's eyes sparkled with malevolence. "Could it be that you're frightened? After all, now that Ryuk is here – and knows the location of the Death Note – I don't exactly need you alive anymore, now do I?"

L shifted his weight as he contemplated this. "...No. I suppose you don't."

"Good." Kira's lips pulled back into a devilish smirk. "Since we're both in agreement..." The gun in the brunet's hand rose to level with the center of the older man's forehead.

L tilted his head upward slightly, a show of defiance, and his onyx gaze met the crimson one of Kira. The brunet was unprepared for the smirk that unexpectedly spread across the face of the raven-haired detective. "Are you not forgetting something, Kira?"

Kira's eyes narrowed in response. "And what would that be?"

L's gaze darted to Ryuk once more, and it suddenly clicked in the brunet's mind that the Shinigami had never told him the location of the Death Note. This, however, did not explain why L looked so smug, but Kira mused that he would worry about that shortly.

"Ryuk!" Said Shinigami looked mildly startled – if that were even possible – at the brunet's sudden outburst. "Did you not say that you know where the Death Note is?"

The perpetually-grinning Shinigami brought a clawed finger up to his head, scratching thoughtfully. "Oh, Yeah, I did."

Rather than placate Kira, this comment seemed only to incense him. "Well? Tell me!"

Once more, the room was filled with raspy chuckles. Kira really had no idea how amusing his temper was to Ryuk. "That red-headed kid took it with him when he left."

Kira froze as he contemplated this. Quickly sifting through Light's recent memories, he found the one he was looking for. Mentally replaying the memory of Matt's earlier departure, he vaguely noticed an oddity. It was a minute detail that Light had picked up on, but something the brunet had not cared about at the time - when Matt had left L's house mere hours before, the red-head had been carrying something that he had _not_ arrived there with...

*Flashback.*

_Though Matt and Mello had been virtually inseparable since the red-head had stepped foot in L's mansion, this was one of those rare moments where they were not together. Matt was currently gathering up his belongings, in preparation to return to Wammy's House. Unbeknownst to everyone other than L, these belongings included a new addition: a shining, black-leather briefcase._

_At first glance, it seemed as though it were an ordinary briefcase, one that an unobservant person wouldn't give a second glance toward. On closer inspection of the locking mechanism, however, it became apparent that this briefcase was special. It boasted two different combination locks, one on each end. And between those combination locks, five keyholes were situated, each of different size and shape. It was a work of art, Matt decided, and he had room to talk – he had been the one to design this briefcase, after all._

_Last week, he had been contacted by L. The detective had told him of Kira and the Death Note – he had been mildly surprised at this, but supposed he kind of expected it – and L had then proceeded to explain that he believed it was possible that Kira may reemerge soon. Matt had inquired what this had to do with him, and L had then cut to the chase: Kira's murder weapon was currently housed at L's house, but with the detective's worries of Kira's pending revival, L believed it was no longer safe to keep it there. Therefore, L requested that Matt design for him something to temporarily contain the Notebook while it was transported to a new location._

_After a brief deliberation, Matt suggested a simple briefcase, with two combination locks and five keyholes. When L protested that Kira could simply break the locks or cut through the leather of the briefcase, the red-head told him of the rest of his design: The briefcase would house not only the Notebook, but a miniature bomb as well. Anyone who dared to tamper with the locks or cut through the leather would set off the bomb, destroying the Notebook and injuring – if not killing – the perpetrator. _

_L had agreed with everything, and immediately contacted someone to begin work on the briefcase. And now, a week later, Matt was holding the final product – a briefcase made of shining black leather, and locked with seven steel locks. He knew not the two combinations – it wasn't safe for him to know – nor did he know the locations of a single one of the five keys. It was decided unanimously, however, that he would be the one to take the briefcase when he left – L had protested, but Matt had insisted with the argument that anyone else would be too curious, and end up trying to open it, resulting in... unfortunate consequences. The red-head had then gone on to assure him that a student at Wammy's would not stumble upon the briefcase by accident – he always locked his room when he wasn't in it, and no one dared to bother him when he _was _in it. No one wanted to associate themselves with an outcast like Matt, and that suited the red-head just fine._

_L had caved at this – Matt had several good points, after all – and this is how the red-head was able to simply take the briefcase that L had given him the night before, and leisurely stroll through the front door of L's house on the day of his departure, heading toward the car waiting to carry him back to Wammy's House. He had said his goodbyes to everyone moments before, so the rest of the house's inhabitants were now once more completely engrossed in their snowball fight – he had applauded his own genius for thinking up THAT little distraction. Therefore, Matt was easily able to slip into the car (briefcase and all), and just drive away. _

_And all the while, no one was the wiser. _

_...Or so he thought._

*End Flashback.*

The room became deathly silent. No one dared to move, as the abrupt change in Kira's demeanor was quite frightening – even to Ryuk. The sneer had dropped from the brunet's face to be replaced with a scowl, and his eyes had narrowed dangerously in L's direction. When the brunet spoke, his voice was naught but a hiss, filled to the brim with venom. "It was in the _briefcase_. You _gave_ it to him."

L - who, coincidentally, no longer sported the smug look of earlier - hesitated a moment before responding, unsure if it would infuriate the brunet further. "...Yes. It was. And yes, I did."

Apparently, this was the exact _wrong _thing to say, as Kira snarled at him before whipping the barrel of the gun against his uninjured cheek. The detective yelped in pain, raising the hand of his uninjured arm to press against the new injury, which was already beginning to swell. The brunet would have none of that, however, and seized L's raised wrist, instantly applying an overwhelming amount of pressure. A sickening snap was heard, followed by a wail of agony - Kira had broken L's wrist in his fury.

Near, still at Mello's side, gave a cry of alarm. He should have remained silent, though, as the noise brought Kira's attention to him, and the brunet rounded on the younger boy with a crazed look in his deranged eyes. The man released the injured detective and instead snagged a handful of Near's snowy hair, giving the strands a sharp tug. Mello protested weakly at the harsh treatment, and Near hissed between his clenched teeth at the pain. All protests died, however, as the barrel of the gun in Kira's opposite hand was quite suddenly pressed insistently to the albino's forehead.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a hole in his head right this instant!" The shout was directed at L, who's attention was torn between nursing his broken wrist with his uninjured hand and staring in horror at the gun against Near's head.

Blinking the tears the pain had caused from his onyx eyes, L responded in monotone. "If you kill him, I will not open that briefcase. You will never see your Death Note again."

Kira's smirk returned full-force at these words. "You won't open it _for _me, huh?" A dark chuckle escaped the brunet's venomous mouth._ "_And what's to stop me from simply killing Matt and breaking into it myself, hmm? It's leather, is it not? Leather can easily be cut."

"You are right, Kira. Leather can be cut, and quite easily at that, as you so said." L's dark eyes rose to meet the red-tinted gaze of Kira, the onyx orbs boring deep into the bloody depths of the brunet's eyes. "But do you honestly believe I would make it that easy for you? If you do, you are a fool."

Kira's eyes once more narrowed, his index finger simultaneously tightening on the trigger of the gun. The man's lips pulled back into a vicious scowl, his teeth gritting in frustration, and his voice came out eerily calm. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"I am sure you can guess, but I will tell you anyway." The dark-hared man paused to shift his broken wrist into a more comfortable position. "Inside the briefcase resides not only the Notebook, but a bomb as well. The trigger is attached to the locking mechanism, which means that anyone who tampers with the locks will set it off. Likewise, you cannot just cut into the leather, for there are wires crisscrossing throughout the interior, completely surrounding the Notebook. Cutting into just one of these wires would also trigger the bomb." Again, he paused to adjust his arm, and the pain he felt was evident in the strained tone of his voice. "So you see, the only way you may open it is with my help. And if you kill him-" L gestured toward Near with a nod of his head. "-I will be loath to cooperate."

Kira considered this for a moment, before slowly lowering the gun. "You... have a solid, point, L..." The brunet then begrudgingly released his too-tight hold on Near's hair, and gave the albino a rough push in L's direction. The younger boy, unprepared for such actions, nearly stumbled into L. Luckily, the older man caught the albino's elbow with the hand that wasn't fractured, then silently directed him to join Mello – something which Near did eagerly.

Not once during all of this did L take his eyes from Kira's form, and he was damn glad that he didn't. For if he had, he surely would have missed the flash of murderous intent in those crimson eyes. He would have also missed Kira raising the gun to once more point at Near, who was too preoccupied with the barely-conscious Mello to realize the danger he was in. "...But I'm willing to take my chances!"

Kira's finger tightened on the trigger, and L's body abruptly acted without his conscious consent.

A bare foot struck Kira's outstretched hand, causing the brunet to drop the gun. The weapon fell to strike the linoleum hard, unintentionally causing it to discharge. As the shot rang out, the bullet whizzed harmlessly by Near, missing him by a margin of several inches and embedding into the counter behind him. Cursing the dark-haired detective profusely, Kira then rounded on L with wild eyes, lunging forward without warning to wrap his hands around a pallid throat.

L seemed to expect this reaction, and made to dodge the hands of the enraged Kira. The brunet's momentum was too great, and as he had not anticipated L to move so quickly, he was unable to stop himself from careening bodily into the counter. Recovering swiftly, he spun to charge the detective a second time. This time, he was more successful.

L did not expect Kira to recover quite that fast, and had no time to dodge the punishing fist that assailed his chest. The impact propelled him backwards a bit – just far enough away to comfortably bring a crushing foot up to catch the bottom of Kira's chin, which in turn caused the brunet's head to snap backwards. A hand scrabbled to clutch at his injured chin as he released a low groan of pain, a dribble of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

Though L wasn't usually one to kick a dog when it's down, he decided that he would make an exception for Kira. While the brunet was distracted with his wounded chin, the dark-haired detective stuck again, this time planting a foot solidly against Kira's left shin. The pressure of the blow caused the brunet's knee to buckle, and eventually give out, pulling him to the floor. Not to be outdone, Kira was able to snag the hem of L's sweater on the way down, dragging the surprised detective to the floor with him.

As soon as their bodies hit the floor, the two men became a blur of motion. Fists and feet started flying as the duo fought valiantly, neither wanting to be surpassed. While they fought, Near used their lack of attention to his person as an advantage. The gun, laying forgotten amongst the broken porcelain, was scooped up and brought to Mello, as per the blond's earlier instructions.

*Flashback.*

_It had been several minutes since Mello had left the room, and Near was beginning to worry. He could hear nothing from downstairs – the house had long since fallen silent – so he was unsure what was happening down there. Was Mello okay, or was he hurt? Was he even still alive, or was he...? _

_This last thought was too much for the albino to even contemplate. His conscience began warring with his heart: Should he honor Mello's request to stay here? Or should he ignore it, and go after him? _

_Eventually, his mind was made up for him as the sound of a gunshot from downstairs had him dashing for the door. Yanking it open, he hurried through the sitting room and was soon making his way down the stairs. His thick socks muffled his footsteps, and as he had a naturally soft tread, he was fairly certain that he had remained undetected once he reached the bottom of the stairs._

_Though he had no idea where the gunshot had come from, the sound of muted voices lured him to move toward the vicinity of the kitchen. Once there, he paused in the doorway to take in the bizarre scene he had just stumbled upon. _

_First and foremost, he had certainly located Mello, though the blond was a crumpled heap on the floor. In addition, Mello's shoulder was now sporting a bloody wound that had not been there when the blond had left the room earlier. The source of the wound - a gunshot wound, Near mused - became apparent, as Light was now brandishing Mello's gun, aiming it in the general direction of Mello and L. Said detective was, despite his own injuries, valorously trying to help the blond stem the flow of blood from the hole in his shoulder. _

_After a moment, L stood from Mello and turned to shoot Kira a positively seething glare. "Why did you do that? He's just a boy!"_

_The brunet shrugged nonchalantly. "You wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know."_

_"So you shot him, just because I refused to cooperate? That's low, even for you, Kira." Near's eyes widened in horror. Light was Kira! Though, if he were honest with himself, he had always supposed something was not quite right about the brunet..._

_"It may be low, but I will continue to shoot everyone close to you, until you tell me where the Death Note is. Starting with him." The hand holding the gun suddenly pivoted to point toward the open door, in which Near was standing, petrified. The little albino realized then that he had been discovered. _

_Oh, well._

_In contrast to L – who was still glaring at Kira – Near simply leveled the brunet with an apathetic stare, his voice a perfect monotone. "You're Kira. I always suspected there was something you were hiding, and now I know what it is."_

_The brunet's lips curled into a wicked sneer. "You always were the more intelligent of L's successors, Near. You're quite right. I'm Kira, now. And Light is gone for good."_

_"I see." Near took the time to completely assess the injuries his companions had sustained. As earlier determined, Mello's was most certainly a gunshot wound. There was a crescent-shaped incision around L's neck – probably caused by one of the many shards of porcelain that littered the kitchen floor, or one of the shining steel knives also scattered about, though it had thankfully stopped bleeding some time ago. There was also an injury to the detective's arm – a result of the jagged piece of cookery still protruding from his flesh – and it was still sluggishly bleeding, staining the white sweater sleeve a deep crimson. "And you injured them, didn't you?"_

_"Very astute." The sneer widened. "Yes, I did that. And now, I grow weary of your voice. You-" Kira motioned the gun toward Near. "-Go join L and your little boyfriend. I'll give you just a few moments to say goodbye to them, before I kill the lot of you."_

_The albino obediently did as he was told, gingerly stepping around the sharp debris to kneel at Mello's side. The blond gave him a weak smile, then leaned in close to give him a few whispered instructions. "As soon as you can safely do so, get the gun. Then, bring it to me, and I'll take care of the rest."_

*End Flashback.*

And that had been exactly what Near had done. He swiftly pressed the gun into the barely-conscious Mello's trembling hand, then moved to the side, away from the line of fire.

"H-Hey!" The blond's less-than-commanding shout still managed to catch the attention of the still-quarreling duo, and they separated and stood, both watching Mello warily. Kira and L now sported several new scratches and bruises, seen in the places where skin was visible, though surely more littered their battered bodies in the places hidden by clothing.

Once he was sure he had their attention, Mello used the last of his strength to point the gun at his intended target, and pulled the trigger. The last thing the blond heard before finally losing consciousness was the sound of the gunshot, followed by a howl of pain. Then, Mello knew only darkness.

At this interesting turn of events, Ryuk's amused chuckles echoed throughout the kitchen.

And when the laughter died away, only silence remained.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update. There's been some things going on in my life lately that have made me wholly unmotivated to continue this story – it seems more like a chore now, whereas it used to be fun. But nevertheless, I will finish it. And since there's just one chapter left – that's right, the next one will be the last one, methinks – I am damned determined to make it a good one, as well as an extremely _long_ one. I hope this chapter was also a good one, and I hope my lateness and lack of motivation isn't too terribly disappointing to anyone. See you next chapter!


	16. Life

***CHAPTER DEDICATION! The final chapter is dedicated first and foremost to my two very best friends, Nani Hatake and Lawli-Chan. The two of you have been my inspiration since the beginning, and I couldn't have finished this without you (on a side-note, Nani Hatake's own fic "Bad Romance" is ending soon. Go read it!). This chapter is also dedicated to everyone who took the time to read this story. Thank you to those who reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. I love you all!***

****Special thanks to Emela, Nani Hatake, scaryblondeconartist, Vega Nightshade, icywarm, Josefin Tonks, and Rein Mikazuki for reviewing the last chapter. Anyone who reviews for _this_ chapter will be mentioned by name in the beginning Author's Note of my next new fic. Thanks for reading!****

*****A VERY special thanks to those who reviewed "To Be Loved," my first attempt at a one-shot: Akai Nara, Secretsofthedarkness, xUzumakiYukix, and MatthewMellz. Thanks for reading!*****

Disclaimer: I don't own _Death Note_ or anything associated with it.

Warnings: Violence, language, L's real name – finally! - and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x Near).

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

_Flashback._

* * *

Dying wasn't as bad as people believed it to be, L mused. The gunshot had hurt, to be sure, but soon enough he felt himself just... give in to oblivion. He was now pleasantly warm – the pain he felt was just a dull afterthought - and his head felt strangely fuzzy, as though he were caught in that place between wakefulness and sleep. It was such a nice feeling... To just drift away, and never have to worry about anything ever again... To finally feel _safe_...

Except... he didn't. Not really. As long as Kira lived, L could never feel completely safe, even in death. There was nothing more the brunet could do to harm him, now that he was dead, but still... He just... didn't feel... _safe_.

L supposed that the only way he _could_ feel completely safe was if Kira were also dead, but he didn't quite see how this was to be accomplished. With his death, he had lost the ability to kill Kira himself... and Mello was likely in the same state... which left only Near. And though the albino had been the most intelligent of his successors, L sincerely doubted Near had it in him to actually take another life, even one so despicable as Kira's.

No. Near wasn't an option. So, who then could he count on to kill Kira...? Matt, perhaps? If the brunet were to follow through with his earlier threats, and actually pursued the Death Note without the keys and the combinations, then the resulting explosion may be enough to actually kill him...

But probably not. Kira was a fighter, and though the explosion would certainly incinerate the Death Note, it was unlikely to kill Kira in the process – the bastard just didn't know when to quit.

Stupid motherfu-

"Breathe!"

...What? How can you breathe when you're dead? What an idiotic thing to say...

That voice seemed awfully familiar, though. He couldn't quite remember where he had heard it before, but it was one he had come to know well. And now... it was as though he were hearing it as an echo of a distant memory, rather than someone speaking to him directly. There was also a dull ache in the area of his chest, though he had no clue what it could be.

"Breathe!"

Oh. It was Light – or was it Kira? L couldn't remember... But why was the brunet demanding that he breathe? Was he not already dead? Why would Kira want him to stay alive, anyway? And that ache in his chest was intensifying... This was far too surreal...

"Dammit, Ryuzaki, just _breathe_!"

And as though he were actually following the command, L's mouth dropped open to gasp, his lungs burning at the return of the air that he hadn't been aware he'd stopped inhaling. His dark eyes shot open as he wheezed, three blurry faces above him immediately catching his attention. One of them was Light – or Kira? – as L could easily distinguish the brunet's vague outline to his left, but the other two were unfamiliar. A man and a woman, he surmised.

"Stay calm, Mr. Ryuzaki. You're going to be just fine." It was the woman talking, though he still couldn't focus on her face. Why were his eyes so unfocused?

A light was suddenly shining into said onyx eyes, further blinding him. He tried to talk – to protest – but he couldn't seem to make his voice work. All that escaped his still-burning lungs was a pathetically weak squeak.

"Don't speak, Mr. Ryuzaki. Just follow the light with your eyes." The light began to move horizontally from side to side, and L's gaze obediently followed it. It had been the male speaking that time, and judging by the tone and content of what was said, this man was a doctor.

"Will he be alright?" Ah, now THAT was a voice L recognized, though... was it REALLY Light, or was Kira simply putting on an elaborate ruse with the intention of finishing L off with his own two hands?

"Yes. He's going to need someone to take care of him for a while, but other than that, I would say he's in the clear." In the clear? What did that- oh. A sudden memory had flashed into his hazy mind, the sound of a gunshot still fresh in his ears...

*Flashback.*

_"H-Hey!" The word was stuttered and weak, but it still managed to do its intended job, causing L to end his fight with Kira. The duo meandered to their feet, standing side-by-side, their dual gazes locked on Mello – the one who had caught their attention. Kira was the least battered of the two, and as such, paid little mind to his injuries. L, though much more injured than Kira was, payed no attention at all to his own wounds; instead, his complete attention was riveted on the gun in Mello's outstretched hand – the barrel of which was pointed directly at his chest. _

_As the dark-haired detective moved to question Mello's motives, he realized it was too late – the blond was rapidly losing consciousness, and his finger on the trigger was squeezing. The gun went off mere moments before Mello finally blacked-out, and a searing pain erupted somewhere in the center of L's chest. His mouth opened in a howl of agony, and the last thing he could remember before his own world went black from an overload of pain was the sensation of falling._

*End Flashback.*

Everything after his black-out was just a blur to L. He'd regained consciousness several times, but never for more than a few seconds, and he could only recall vague sounds and images from those scarce intervals – someone who was not him was screaming; being held in a warm, tight embrace; snippets of Light's panicked voice; the brunet's concerned face in his hazy vision; L's name as a distant shout on Light's lips... He wished he could remember more than that, as it was quite obvious that something important had happened in the time between his initial black-out and his arrival at the hospital – Kira was gone, or so L suspected, though the detective knew not when nor how such a thing had occurred.

"What... h-happened?" The effort it took to speak just those two words proved to be too much for L; the burn in his lungs intensified, and a searing new pain – somewhere in the middle of his abdomen – abruptly made itself known. He immediately identified it as the dull ache from earlier, multiplied by a _thousand_. L hissed through his clenched teeth, a pale hand subconsciously moving to press against the wounded area. This proved to be a mistake, however, as the hand he had chosen to move just happened to be the one with the broken wrist. The movement jostled the newly-applied cast, causing the detective to emit another pained noise.

"Mr. Ryuzaki! Don't move!" The woman – whom L could now identify as a nurse, thanks to his clearing vision – was suddenly at his side, and looking quite concerned. "Your injuries are far too great for you to move right now!"

The dark-haired detective was confused by this, and the look he gave the nurse quite plainly said, 'What the _Hell_ are you talking about?' Light could see that the man was annoyed, and took the opportunity to jump in. "If you two wouldn't mind, I would like to explain this to him."

The doctor and nurse conversed on this for a moment, then nodded their agreement, both of them leaving the room to give Light and L privacy. Once they were gone, Light approached L's bed, reaching a gentle hand out to run through the detective's pitch-black hair. Though it was barely noticeable, the brunet could still detect a slight flinch when his fingers brushed against L's skin, and promptly withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry, Ryuzaki."

Had he been able to talk, L would have replied without a hint of hesitation, "For what? Almost killing me? Oh, that's alright. It happens all the time." And yes, his voice would have been heavy with sarcasm. As it was, the detective was only able to stare back at Light, hoping to convey his response through his eyes alone.

Apparently, the brunet understood the message, for he continued speaking. "I... I'll start with your injuries, I suppose. From there, we'll move on to... Kira." He received a nod from L, and proceeded to explain the injuries. "I'm not sure if you remember what happened, but you were... shot. The bullet missed your heart and any other nearby vital organs by a margin of only a few centimeters, but by the time you reached the hospital, you had lost too much blood."

Here, Light paused to allow L some time to ponder this. If he had lost too much blood... then the doctors had to have given him a blood transfusion. The dark-haired detective's eyes darted toward the IV near his bed, and just as he suspected, it was half-full of blood. But how had they known his blood type...?

"It was Watari." Light had noticed where L's gaze had strayed, and immediately knew what the detective was thinking. "I called Watari as soon as I learned that you would need a blood transfusion, and he told me your blood type. He's downstairs, probably on the phone with either Roger or Matt, and will return shortly." Ah, that explained it. Watari had been staying at Wammy's House for Christmas, which was why he had not heard any of the commotion at L's house, and was also why he had had to be called via a telephone. He was the only man in the world who knew L's blood type, and the detective silently applauded Light for his quick thinking.

However, there were several other holes that needed to be filled. It was unfortunate that he lacked his voice for the time being; there were so many other questions that needed answering...

"I can read lips, Ryuzaki." Light gave him a gentle, reassuring smile – the brunet had always had the uncanny ability to be able to tell when L was frustrated with something that was out of his control, and this situation was no exception. "If there's a question you need to ask me, just mouth it and I'll understand."

...How convenient.

Deciding to test this, L leveled a stare at Light and moved his lips, mouthing out the words, "I... had a dream... in which I died."

The brunet gave him a long, hard look, before replying, "You... _did_ die, Ryuzaki." At the older man's shocked look, he hurriedly continued, trying to reassure him. "They had already removed the bullet, stitched the wound closed, and bandaged you up, but - here, L glanced down to see that his shirt was, indeed, missing, and a heavy dressing of tight bandages circled his otherwise bare torso - the blood loss caused your heart to stop beating for several seconds, twelve to be exact, and you were technically dead for that time. You also... stopped breathing, and I... I thought you were gone. But the doctors... they pumped air into your lungs, and performed chest compressions, and... you came back." L could vaguely recall the dull ache in his chest – caused by the compressions, he assumed - and Light's voice in his ear, screaming for him to breathe...

The dark-haired detective nodded his understanding, a signal that Light need not continue with this particular conversation. He could see this was a touchy subject for the brunet, and sought to find a safer one by mouthing, "What happened to Mello?"

The brunet didn't respond right away, his hazel eyes darting to look at something on the other side of the bed, toward L's right. Turning his head - he winced at the strain this action caused the injury around his neck - L moved to glance at the thing Light was gazing at.

Parallel to his own bed was a second one, an unconscious Mello situated in it. Beside him, in a chair that faced L, sat Near. The albino's head was resting on the bed, a tiny hand clenching at one of Mello's larger ones. It was clear to the dark-haired detective that Near was also asleep – the stress had probably worn him out - and L smiled slightly at the peaceful image the two of them made.

"He's alright. Just unconscious, because of the blood loss. He'll be just fine in a few days." Light's voice drew L's attention back to the brunet, as he turned his head back to face the man beside him once more. At L's renewed stare, Light continued with, "He woke up for a few minutes earlier, and I asked him why he did it Why he shot you, I mean."

Curious as to the blond's motive, the older detective mouthed, "What was his reasoning?"

Light was silent for a moment, as though carefully considering his words, before replying, "His response was, 'It was the only way to kill Kira.'"

"Kill Kira?" L mouthed back to him. "How did shooting me accomplish that? I'm not Kira – _you_ are. Or were."

"Yes, I was." The brunet's eyes dulled as he immersed himself in deep thought. "And though I, too, was puzzled by what he meant at first... the more I thought about it, the clearer it became. Shooting you did help to kill Kira, in one way or another."

L's onyx stare became searching then, looking for anything Light may be hiding. Finding nothing, the older man then made a low whining sound in the back of his throat, drawing the brunet's attention. When he was sure Light's gaze was on him, L mouthed his next question. "How?"

"Well..." The brunet's honeyed eyes never strayed from L, though the dark-haired detective could tell that Light was having to fight the urge to shift his eyes away as the younger man became increasingly uncomfortable. "It's a long story..."

Without missing a beat, L instantly mouthed back, "Tell me. Please."

Heaving a sigh of resignation, Light capitulated. "...Alright. Kira was still in control at the time, but I could see and hear everything - he wanted me to watch, the sadistic bastard. And when Mello shot you, I just... couldn't take it anymore. I snapped, and I... I fought back." Light paused to take in L's reaction; the dark-haired detective was watching him intently, and this encouraged the younger man to continue. "Mello... he knew, somehow. Kira had been reluctant to kill you from the very beginning - as I was constantly finding ways to distract him from doing so – and I believe Mello figured this out. I think he also suspected that seeing you get hurt was the push I would need to rebel, to completely take back control, and... he was right." Again, Light paused, this time to take a shaky breath. "I... I still don't know how I managed to do it, but... Kira is gone, Ryuzaki. For good this time."

Once he finished, Light gave L a moment to absorb all that he'd said, before pleading for a response with his eyes. The older man eventually came to some sort of conclusion in his mind, then hesitantly mouthed back, "How... did you defeat him?"

Though the brunet had feared that L would ask this question, he was not quite prepared for it. Despite that, he could not deny L this explanation – the older man more than deserved to know what had happened – so Light pushed aside his own insecurities for the sake of the injured detective.

"That..." Light began, "...is an even longer story. As I said, I could see and hear everything..."

*Flashback.*

_Kira was an abomination. The man seemed to take pleasure from Light's pain, and had found the ultimate way to evoke the most pleasing reactions from the brunet._

_Rather than just leave the teen trapped in his own mind, with only the darkness for company, the evil spirit had gone out of his way to be a bastard. The man had somehow pieced together the broken mirror that Light had shattered upon his last visit here, and the image reflected in the cracked glass was of what was being seen through his own eyes – the eyes that Kira now controlled. _

_Light had the ability to watch what Kira was seeing through his eyes, and the teen was appalled at the images he saw._

_But more than that, the evil spirit had also found a way to ensure that Light could hear everything as well, though the teen knew not how Kira had managed this. And though one might think Light could simply close his eyes or cover his ears with his hands, they would be mistaken; the evil spirit had found a way to ensure that such a thing was impossible. Light was bound by some invisible force, strong as steel, and try as he might, the teen could move not even to bat an eyelash. The bindings also prevented Light from talking – and thus verbalizing his protests - and as the restraints ensured that he was unable to move, the teen was forced to watch and listen as an evil spirit controlled his body, using it to torture his friends and loved ones._

_It was sickening._

"_What do you think? Beautiful, is it not?" The voice came somewhere from the darkness to his right, and though Light was unable to turn his head to catch a glimpse of the speaker, the voice of Kira was unmistakable to him._

_The embodiment of that voice appeared in Light's peripheral vision, and he watched as Kira leisurely strolled up to him, pausing once he was standing opposite the bound teen. Several times had Kira visited him since Light had first been imprisoned, his voice echoing in the teens ears, but never had the spirit actually appeared to him; Kira usually preferred to hide in the darkness of Light's mind, whispering taunts and provocations to the helpless teen._

_Kira allowing Light to see him was a first._

"_I asked you a question." Light, still bound, was unable to respond verbally, and instead settled on his best attempt at a glare. Kira sneered at the silence, even more so at the pathetic look Light was giving him, and spoke again. "What's the matter, Light? Cat got your tongue?" The evil spirit threw his head back, cackling madly at his own horrid joke, as Light watched on with disdain._

_Eventually, Kira's laughter died down, a smug look settling on his face. "Joking aside, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here." Again, the spirit was met with silence. "I've come to ensure that you watch what I'm about to do to your precious L."_

_Light's eyes snapped to the mirror, and in it's cracked surface, he could see himself fighting with L. The duo were rolling on the floor, heedless of the broken porcelain around them as they tussled, both struggling to overcome the other. Light could understand why Kira had wanted him to see this; it was obvious that the spirit had the upper hand in this fight - Kira's intention was to kill, while L merely fought to just stay alive. If Light's eyes could widen, they surely would have as one of Kira's hands managed to get a loose grip on L's already-injured throat, the appendage beginning to squeeze..._

_...And that was when something happened that Kira had _not_ anticipated._

"_H-Hey!" The voice of Mello drew the quarreling duo's attention, and Kira's hand dropped from L's throat as they separated, climbing to their feet to stand side-by-side. Light could no longer see L, as Kira's eyes were now trained on the gun held in the blond's outstretched hand._

_Light wished desperately that he could close his eyes – he had no desire to watch as Mello pulled the trigger, and even less desire to die, though that was certainly inevitable now._

"_What is that little moron doing!" Light's eyes slid briefly to Kira – the one who had spoken – before flickering back to the mirror. Again, the teen's eyes would have widened, had he the ability to do so, as he realized that Mello's gun was not aimed at his _own_ person, but at _L's_._

'No-!'

_It was too late. The blond squeezed the trigger as he fell unconscious, and a shot rang out. The bullet struck L somewhere in the center of his chest, and Light felt his own heart stop as he watched the detective howl in pain._

'This can't be happening-!'

_L's body fell just then, hitting the ground hard, shards of porcelain scattering with his sudden impact. Kira controlling his body seemed confused; his gaze constantly shifted from Near (who was staring in horror at L), to L's sprawled-out body (there was so much blood...), to Ryuk (that laughter was REALLY annoying), and back again. Despite all this, Light's own focus was directed somewhere other than the mirror. _

_Now, Light Yagami only had eyes for Kira._

_And the brunet was livid._

_Though he had been unable to move since the moment he became trapped in his own mind, he still possessed a tiny fraction of his willpower, and he'd been using that to prevent Kira from killing L in his borrowed body. With Mello's actions, though, _protecting_ L was no longer an issue – now, _saving_ the elder detective was Light's sole prerogative, and he'd be _damned_ if he didn't do it!_

_Using every bit of willpower he still possessed, the brunet fought back again the invisible ties that bound him. At first, they didn't even budge, but the longer he strained, the more the binds began to shift – they were giving way under the force of his will alone, Light mused. _

_With one last push, the invisible bindings shattered, though Kira took no notice of this – the evil spirit was much too preoccupied with the events reflected in the mirror. This proved to be more than enough encouragement for Light to attack, and attack he did. The brunet tackled Kira from behind, sending both tumbling to the ground in a mass of struggling limbs – much as L and Kira, in his borrowed body, had done earlier._

_L..._

_Just thinking of the detective's name fueled Light to fight harder, and he easily overpowered Kira. But, how would he rid himself of the evil spirit, and make sure he didn't come back?_

_Kira, pinned below Light's weight, grinned up at the brunet. "You may have broken my invisible chains, Light, but you can't kill me, and I will never let you have your body back."_

_This turned out to be the wrong thing to say, as Kira quite suddenly found himself lifted bodily by his shirt collar via a growling Light, and the evil spirit had no time to brace himself before he was then flung into the cracked mirror. The force of the impact completely shattered the already-broken glass, snapping the wooden frame into splinters. Kira's battered body fell to rest upon the broken remains of the mirror, but the grin never left the evil spirit's face. _

"_I t-told you, Light." The grin widened into a full-blown smirk, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his lips. "You c-can't kill me. And the only th-thing you a-accomplished by breaking the m-mirror last time was s-setting me fr-free." _

_Fed up with the constant taunting, Light stooped to gather a particularly sharp shard of glass into a shaking hand. Once done, he moved to hover over the fallen Kira, staring down at the evil spirit with contempt. "If I cannot kill you..." The brunet brought the glass above his head, then dropped to his knees beside Kira._

"_...Then I'll just keep trying until I do!"_

_And with that, Light struck. The teen's arm dropped, stabbing the mirror shard deep into Kira's chest and piercing the evil spirit's heart. "Go to Hell, Kira, and make sure you _stay_ there!"_

_A sharp cry of utmost agony erupted from Kira as he began writhing amongst the mirror debris, the man clutching at his own chest all the while, though his efforts were for naught. _

_As Light watched these proceedings, Kira started to fade, his body becoming translucent. The remains of the mirror, too, were disappearing, and the brunet knew then that it was over. Kira had been defeated, never again to return._

_Light Yagami had won._

_As Kira and the mirror finally vanished from existence, the evil spirit's final cries of defeat echoing in his ears, Light became aware that his vision had begun to dim. He gave himself willingly to the darkness this time, and as he took one last glance around his shadowed mind, a contented smile rose to settle on his face._

_And then Light knew no more._

*End Flashback.*

"When I regained control of my body, I found myself clutching at my hair and screaming my lungs out, as though I'd just woken from a nightmare." Light paused here, deciding how best to proceed. "Mello was unconscious, Near looked visibly shaken, and Ryuk was nowhere to be seen. And you, Ryuzaki... When I looked down... you were on the ground, bleeding, and I... I thought you were dead." Once more, Light paused, this time to take a shuddering breath. "I... I shouted for Near to call an ambulance, which he did immediately, and both you and Mello were rushed to the hospital. I was so afraid..."

L made a whining sound just then, catching Light's attention. The brunet's hazel eyes rose to meet the onyx gaze of the injured detective, and Light saw understanding in those mysterious depths. L didn't need him to go on, especially if it was this difficult for the brunet, but Light had one last thing that he felt L needed to know before he stopped.

"I... I wanted you to know that it wasn't Kira who kissed you. It was me. He... He did take control somewhere in the middle, but I initiated it." The brunet began to fidget then, as he waited for L's reaction.

The detective made that whining noise once more, drawing Light's eyes. Once L was sure the brunet's full attention was on his person, the dark-haired detective carefully mouthed, "Why did you kiss me?"

"I..." Light knew how he _wanted _to answer that question, though he was unsure if he should. There were so many ways L could use those words against him, but... was the detective really capable of such a thing? After all they'd been through together?

Perhaps he should have a little faith.

"I... I love you, Ryuzaki."

Light's eyes darted up to L's face, carefully gauging the man's features. The dark-haired detective did not look as shocked as Light thought he would, and this both puzzled him whilst also giving him a glimmer of hope. Perhaps L... felt the same way?

L thought hard about how to respond to that. It was entirely obvious – to himself, at least - that he was also in love with Light, but he doubted the teen could see it. He hid it well, behind a blank mask and a monotone voice. And... what about the rumors of Light's play-boy reputation? Could he really be with someone who had a habit of dating anything that moved?

...No, he couldn't.

But as he gazed back at the anxious Light, L realized that those rumors had to be false. This Light didn't seem like the kind to want to be with someone he didn't truly love, and he had just confessed his love for L, not for someone else. In fact... the kiss Light had professed to sharing with Misa Amane that single time had probably been the brunet's first and only, until he'd kissed L.

L, who was his best friend.

L, who was his partner in detective work.

L, whom he was in love with.

And L knew then what his answer would be. Meeting those amazing honey eyes dead-on, the dark-haired detective mouthed out a single word, three syllables long.

Law...

Li...

Et.

Confused, Light mouthed the word back to himself. _Lawliet_. What did that mean?

"It's... my n-name." The brunet's eyes widened in surprise at the sound of L's voice, but more so at the knowledge that the detective had just told him his name. That signaled to Light that he was trusted, that L could possibly-

"I... l-love you, L-Light."

-Love him.

And he did. The brunet's heart filled to bursting with a myriad of emotions, though love was at the forefront, and he wished to express that. Carefully, he stood and moved toward the injured detective, leaning over the man just a bit. Silently, using only his eyes, Light asked for the permission he sought. L smiled back at him, nodding slightly, and the brunet took this as his cue to bring their mouths together in a delicate, sweet kiss.

Both participants could tell this was just the first – well, technically second – of many more kisses to come, and they both mentally swore to enjoy each one. True love only happens once in a lifetime, after all, and both Light and L planned to make the most of it.

No matter what.

* * *

A/N: Aaaaand... I'm done! Dear Lord, this was an ordeal! I hope the ending was good, and that everyone enjoyed the story. Any further updates will only be made when I eventually reread the whole story, and make any necessary corrections – and also to add names to the list of reviewers. On a special note, I am now taking requests (I already have a one-shot that needs to be written first – a Light x Misa friendship fic, with a hint of Light x L romance if you squint - and all other requests will be added to a to-do list. I am planning on only writing one-shots for a while, but perhaps I could be persuaded to write another chaptered fic, if I like the idea enough.). Please, leave me a review to tell me how I did, and also to make requests. I love you all, and I'll see you around!


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